District councillors may get 20pc more in rent subsidy
A plan to increase district council members' remuneration to help them tackle rising costs will be tabled to Legco by year-end, source says
The government is set to improve district councillors' remuneration packages, and this could include a HK$6,000 rise in their operating expenses subsidy to help them with their office rent.
A source close to the government revealed that by year-end, a proposal would be tabled to the Legislative Council's finance committee, and if accepted, the improved terms could be in place by January.
The changes would affect the more than 400 district councillors citywide.
The source said the Home Affairs Bureau was currently conducting focus groups among the councillors, and one of their main issues of concern was rental increases. The rise in rents put a huge financial burden on the councillors, who had to set up offices in their districts.
"We are very much aware of the concern, and one of the solutions is to increase the operating expenses reimbursement so that they can have more flexibility to cover office rental and other expenses, such as assistants' salaries," the source said.
It was understood the government was considering raising the subsidy by 25 per cent, bringing it to HK$30,000 a month.
This would cost the government an additional HK$30 million a year.