EditorialHelpers giving more than they are getting

How do you compare a Hong Kong domestic helper with someone who works in banking or insurance, or in communications or hospitality or real estate? Starting from the premise that everyone is equal before the law, there is no difference. But beyond that there is no comparison. You would expect that to be reflected in the Census and Statistics Department’s breakdown of contributions to the city’s gross domestic product, with finance and insurance accounting for 18 per cent in 2017, hospitality 3.3 per cent, information and communications 3.4 per cent, and real estate 5 per cent. How could helpers match any of those?

For a different perspective, there is a survey in this city, Malaysia and Singapore by Hong Kong-based charity Enrich, which promotes the economic empowerment of helpers. After interviewing 100 in each location, researchers calculated that Hong Kong’s maids contributed an estimated US$12.6 billion last year to the economy, equal to 3.6 per cent of the city’s GDP, compared with US$8.2 billion in Singapore (2.4 per cent) and US$900 million in Malaysia (0.3 per cent). They also enabled more than 110,000 mothers to rejoin the workforce, according to Enrich executive director Lucinda Pike.

Of course, conclusions drawn from comparisons of the two surveys – one official and one not – are not necessarily valid. The calculation was based on the cost of domestic work if paid at local rates, the value of the maids’ own personal spending and the time people are freed up to seek work. What sets Hong Kong helpers apart is that, according to Pike, they have the lowest level of financial inclusion. Opening bank accounts and securing access to financial services have not been made any easier by tighter controls to meet regulatory scrutiny, including in the United States. Banks may not find them attractive potential customers, but this leaves them open to exploitation by unlicensed moneylenders, leading to debt worries that do nothing for a sense of belonging in the society they serve.

Pike rightly says that greater financial inclusion and education would be positive for the city’s domestic growth not to mention its image as an international financial hub. After all, the number of helpers is approaching 400,000 – about one in 19 – and the government projects this will rise to 600,000 by 2047.

Editor's note: The survey report by Enrich referred to above was jointly presented by global information services company Experian. The research was carried out by international market research firm Frost & Sullivan.