The Property Management Services Authority (PMSA) announced today that an Enhanced Arrangement would be rolled out for the Anti-epidemic Support Scheme for Environmental Hygiene and Security Staff in Property Management Sector (the Scheme) commissioned by the Home Affairs Department to be administered by the PMSA and the deadline for application would be extended to May 31, 2022 to encourage more property management companies (PMCs), Deeds of Mutual Covenant (DMC) Managers and owners’ organisations (OOs) of eligible properties to submit applications for subsidy for frontline property management (PM) workers involved in environmental hygiene and security related work.
Under the Enhanced Arrangement:
- If PMCs/DMC Managers/OOs apply for their directly employed frontline PM workers performing duties related to environmental hygiene or security, each building block in an eligible property is subject to a quota of 100 headcounts for the subsidy. If they apply for the frontline PM workers employed by the cleansing/security service contractors engaged by them for the concerned property, or/and for the frontline PM workers employed at premises in the property (e.g. department stores, clinics, gyms, churches, carparks, etc.), each building block in an eligible property will have another 100 headcounts for the subsidy. Applicants may submit applications through the Scheme’s online application system or download the application form indicating “Enhanced Arrangement” from the Scheme’s thematic website and submit by post or through drop box at the PMSA Office.
- PMCs/DMC Managers/OOs will receive an administrative fee of HK$100 per month based on the number of servicing month within the subsidised period for each frontline PM worker who has been granted the subsidy, thereby encouraging them to apply for subsidy for frontline PM workers, whether directly or indirectly employed. The PMSA will arrange disbursement of the above administrative fee after receiving the allowance disbursement report which should be submitted within the designated period by the relevant PMC/DMC Manager/OO.
PMSA Chairperson Mr Tony TSE said, “The Enhanced Arrangement entices PMCs, DMC Managers and OOs to apply for allowance for directly or indirectly employed frontline PM workers. The maximum headcount for allowance has been increased and the application deadline has been extended to May 31. I would wish to appeal for PMCs/DMC Managers/OOs of eligible properties to seize this opportunity to submit applications timely before May 31 so that those frontline PM workers who have been working industriously during the pandemic would receive the subsidy early.”
The Scheme commenced accepting subsidy applications since February 28, 2022 and each eligible frontline PM worker may receive a monthly allowance of $2,000 for a maximum of five months during the subsidised period (i.e. February to June 2022). As of April 29 (the original deadline for application was April 30), the PMSA has approved over $310 million in subsidies, benefitting over 32,000 frontline PM workers and covering over 3,400 blocks of private residential, composite, industrial and commercial buildings. The PMSA has up to now already received a total of over 15,000 applications covering over 120,000 frontline PM workers in enumerated cases, while a large quantity of applications just received has yet to be enumerated. The overall figure of frontline workers applying for subsidy would be announced in due course.
Under the first round of the Scheme implemented in 2020, the PMSA has disbursed over $1.1 billion in subsidies benefitting over 160,000 frontline PM workers.
For more details of the Scheme, please visit the thematic website (https://aspm.pmsa.org.hk), or call 3696 1156 / 3696 1166 or email to aspm@pmsa.org.hk for enquiries.
Ends/Friday, 29 April 2022
Issued at HKT 20:30
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