Editorial | Handouts are good, but recovery is better
- Despite the fall in Covid-19 infections the city’s economy remains fragile and, while government support is welcome, reconnecting with the world should be the goal
The suggestion that the unemployment rate may still soon face pressure is hardly good news for those who think the crisis is already over. Until the pandemic is fully under control, the road to recovery is fraught with challenges.
Under the Employment Support Scheme, which will open for registration on Friday, eligible employers will be given a monthly HK$8,000 per head subsidy for up to 1,000 workers in the next three months. There will be half subsidies for temporary, part-time and senior staff.
With as much as HK$43 billion up for grabs, the scheme that aims to help troubled businesses tide through the fifth Covid-19 wave is bound to attract unscrupulous employers.
If the first round of support in 2020 is any guide, irregularities are inevitable. Officials therefore have to guard against abuse while striking a good balance between timely relief and fiscal prudence.