EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES’ ANTI-EPIDEMIC FUND

Subsidy Scheme for Employment Agencies with valid licence

The novel coronavirus epidemic has brought exceptional challenges to Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Government has responded to the needs of the Employment Agencies in an unprecedented manner. Hence, the Labour Department launched the Subsidy Scheme for Employment Agencies under the 6^th Round of Anti-epidemic Fund

One-off Lump Sum Subsidy

The scheme aims to assist Employment Agencies to tide over the difficulties arising the COVID-19 epidemic. The scheme will grant a one-off lump sum subsidy to below:

• $50,000 for each main licence of Employment Agencies that provide a foreign domestic helper placement service;
• $30,000 for each main licence of Employment Agencies that provide a non-foreign domestic helper placement service; and
• $10,000 for each duplicate licence for branch office of both kinds of Employment Agencies

Eligibility

An Employment Agency eligible for applying for a subsidy under the Scheme must:

• have held a valid licence issued by the Labour Department under section 52 of the Employment Ordinance (Cap. 57) as at 31 January 2022.  If the validity period of the current licence of the EA is less than two months on the date of subsidy application, the EA must have submitted an application for licence renewal to the Labour Department in accordance with Regulation 2 of the Employment Agency Regulations (EAR) (Cap. 57A); or
• have submitted an application for the issue of a new licence in accordance with Regulation 2 of EAR as at 31 December 2021, and the application was still under processing as at 31 January 2022.

If an Employment Agency has applied to the Labour Department for issue of a new licence or renewal of licence according to the above, the subsidy will only be disbursed after the licence application is approved.  For Employment Agencies meeting the requirement in item (i) above and intending to apply for a subsidy of $50,000, they will be required to declare that they had provided foreign domestic helper placement service on or before 31 January 2022, and may be required to submit documentary proof as necessary.  As for Employment Agencies meeting the requirement in item (ii) above, they can only apply for a subsidy of $30,000 as they have only been issued a new licence after 31 January 2022.

When and how to apply?

The scheme is open for application from 17^th March – 29^th April 2022. You can submit a completed the form and required document, and then send to Employment Agencies Administration of Labour Department. And then you can send via fax, post , email or in person during the application period.

If you submit your personal via fax or email, the Labour Department may ask the applicant concerned to provide the original copy of the documents for verification. However, Labour Department will not consider any late applications, incomplete applications or applications with late submission of the required documents. So, please check if you are submitting along with a completed application form and required documents and BEFORE 29^th April 2022.

For further information, please contact us.

You may want to read: THE PROPOSAL OF 6TH ROUND OF ANTI-EPIDEMIC FUND