Yum cha restaurant sees boost as vouchers distributed
The government on Sunday distributed the second instalment of its latest round of electronic consumption vouchers, with those who had previously registered receiving $2,000. It's the third round of consumption vouchers issued by the government since 2021. It brought in the measure to boost the economy, hit hard by the Covid pandemic. One restaurant manager in Lok Fu said the flow of customers in the morning had risen by 10 percent while customers were also placing larger orders.  “Psychologically, it's much better. The government has given people extra money to spend, so they are more generous and feel more relaxed. Their faces light up and they smile more," he said. The Financial Secretary, Paul Chan, said he had already dipped into his spending vouchers during a morning visit to Tai Po Market. “I started with a hearty breakfast and then went to buy some delicious local snacks, fresh fruits and vegetables, chatting with other citizens along the way,” Chan wrote in his weekly blog. He said around 6.5 million people had benefited from the latest round.  But he added that some one million Octopus card holders, who still have vouchers remaining from the previous round, must first spend these before October 31 in order to get the remaining $2,000. “If these people can reach the relevant spending requirements by the end of this month, they will receive the second round of vouchers on the 16th of next month. But the latest day to meet the spending requirement is the end of October,” he added.  At Lok Fu MTR station, some people were frustrated that they couldn't collect their vouchers on their Octopus cards because they had vouchers remaining from the first instalment. “This money is critical for me. I am 76, not 16. I will starve to death if I can't receive the $2,000 until August 16,” a woman surnamed Chiu said.  But another woman, surnamed Yu, said she had successfully received her vouchers. "I hope the spending voucher scheme continues next year. The vouchers are quickly used up through spending on yum cha and grocery shopping," she said. In addition to the Octopus card, the electronic spending vouchers can also be credited to electronic wallets where there are fewer restrictions. They are Alipay HK, BOC Pay, PayMe from HSBC, Tap & Go, and WeChatPay HK.