Hong Kong supermarket giants told ‘give back’ plans might need a rethink, as consumer boss raises doubt over proposals
- ParknShop and Wellcome had wanted to hold lucky draw, freeze prices as way of fulfilling conditions for government cash
- Officials raise questions over schemes and tells chains they need to be more transparent
The two leading Hong Kong supermarket chains must be more transparent over how they plan to use part of their government wage subsidies to help the needy, authorities said on Sunday.
ParknShop, and Wellcome, have been told to make public the lists of beneficiaries of their respective “give back” schemes, as well as the amounts involved “for public inspection”.
The move came on Sunday as the head of the Consumer Council cast doubt over the proposals, which included ParknShop holding a lucky draw to give out vouchers, while Wellcome said it would freeze prices on some 300 products for six months.
The proposals were part of the two chains’ commitments to satisfy conditions imposed by the government when they applied for the second round of the employment support scheme, a wage subsidy programme to help businesses survive the coronavirus.
Wellcome, operated by conglomerate Jardine Matheson through Dairy Farm International, received HK$184.5 million to retain 10,149 workers, and has committed to giving back about HK$100 million to the community, or 54 per cent of the subsidy received.