Letters | Along with Hong Kong’s Covid-19 health code, promote e-payment
- The government is planning to work with the telecoms industry and NGOs to give smartphones to the needy so that they can access the health code system
- Government departments could use the opportunity to generate awareness of e-payment systems at the same time
The lack of popularity of smartphones among the elderly and low-income households will be one of the significant obstacles to promoting the adoption of the health code. Therefore, the government is taking the initiative to contact the telecommunications industry and charitable organisations to look into giving smartphones and SIM cards to the needy.
This will require different departments to actively coordinate their efforts to help enhance smartphone penetration and utilisation. These measures could be synergised with the promotion of e-payment.
Competition among the four stored-value payment platforms has led to a reduction in transaction fees paid by small merchants, which will deepen the development of e-payment in Hong Kong in the long run.
Integrating the implementation of the health code with the promotion of e-payment could sustain this momentum. This will require cross-departmental collaboration within the government. Both health code and e-payment need a smartphone capable of supporting certain apps.