The Labour Department today announced that the Subsidy Scheme for Employment Agencies (EAs) will be introduced under the Anti-epidemic Fund to assist them in tiding over the difficulties arising from the COVID-19 epidemic.

The department said EAs that provide foreign domestic helper placement services have been greatly affected as some overseas countries have suspended the processing of new and contract renewal applications for helpers.

Those EAs that do not provide such placement services have also been affected by the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 epidemic and the worsening unemployment situation in Hong Kong, it added.

The department noted that the Anti-epidemic Fund Steering Committee on May 29 endorsed a proposal to provide a one-off subsidy to EAs.

A subsidy of $50,000 will be granted for each main licence of an EA which provides foreign domestic helper placement services.

For EAs which do not provide such placement services, a subsidy of $30,000 will be granted for each main licence.

An additional $10,000 will be granted for each duplicate licence for a branch office of both kinds of EAs.

The scheme will open for application in the second half of June.

All EAs holding valid licences or that have submitted an application for licence renewal in accordance with the Employment Agency Regulations as of May 31 will be eligible.

Those applying for a $50,000 subsidy will be required to declare that they had provided foreign domestic helper placement services on or before May 31.

Details will be uploaded to the department’s Employment Agencies Portal.

For enquiries, call 2115 3667.