Customers dine at a restaurant in Hong Kong on April 14, 2022. (ISAAC LAWRENCE / AFP)

HONG KONG – The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government said on Wednesday that it will extend for one more year 34 groups of existing waivers and concessions of government fees to help businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement issued on Wednesday morning, the government said it will gazette on May 20 the extension of the existing waivers and concessions as announced in the 2022-23 Budget. The extension is estimated to reduce government revenue by about HK$1.7 billion ($216.6 million).

The waivers will be implemented progressively from October, benefiting various sectors ranging from aviation, maritime, logistics, agriculture and fisheries, retail, catering, construction to tourism and entertainment

The waivers will be implemented progressively from October, benefiting various sectors ranging from aviation, maritime, logistics, agriculture and fisheries, retail, catering, construction to tourism and entertainment.

The waivers of licence and examination fees of commercial vehicles will benefit more than 170,000 commercial vehicle owners while 39,000 licensees will benefit from waiving licence fees of hawkers, restaurants, fresh provision shops, food factories, factory canteens, and bakeries.

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The waivers were first introduced in October 2019 to ease the operating pressure on businesses, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises, caused by an economic downturn.

The measure had twice been extended for one year due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, the Construction Industry Council will further extend the waiver for registration and renewal fees of construction workers for a year until Sept 30, 2023, according to the statement.

The government will submit the related subsidiary legislation to the Legislative Council on May 25 for negative vetting.

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