​The Home Affairs Department (HAD) and the Property Management Services Authority (PMSA) met with Legislative Council member Hon Dennis Leung Tsz-wing and representatives from the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (HKFTU) and its member unions today (June 22) to exchange views on the Anti-epidemic Support Scheme for Environmental Hygiene and Security Staff in the Property Management Sector (ASPM) under the Anti-epidemic Fund and matters relating to applications and its implementation.

     At the meeting, HAD representatives thanked the HKFTU for its concern on and support to the ASPM, and expressed that the HAD had been keeping in view the needs of the trade and introduced various enhancement measures to facilitate submission of applications by frontline cleansing and security workers employed by eligible building blocks or premises located therein.  Following earlier contacts with the HKFTU, the HAD invited the PMSA to look into the cases received by the HKFTU in which certain frontline property management (PM) workers encountered difficulties when applying for subsidies and provide mediation to these cases. The PMSA mentioned during the meeting that upon mediation with the eligible applicant organisations, nearly 90 per cent of eligible cases had been successfully resolved, including logistics centres/warehouses, telephone exchange buildings, factories located within industrial estates and premises within eligible building blocks such as department stores, banks and retail stores. As for cases involving other support schemes for cleansing and security workers launched by other bureaux and departments (B/Ds), the HAD had also helped make referrals to respective B/Ds for their follow-up. The HAD thanked the HKFTU for providing information on those cases, enabling more frontline PM workers to benefit.

     As at June 22, the PMSA has received over 18 000 applications under the ASPM, which will benefit over 187 000 frontline PM workers, of which over 5 200 applications have been approved, involving over $1 billion, benefiting over 19 000 buildings and over 100 000 workers.

     The application deadline of the ASPM is June 30. The HAD appealed strongly again to eligible applicant organisations to uphold corporate social responsibility and civic responsibility, following an inclusive and fair principle, and submit applications for all frontline PM workers serving eligible building blocks (including premises therein) to the PMSA promptly, so as to give recognition to their committed efforts during the pandemic.

     For details on the ASPM, please contact the PMSA at 3696 1156 or 3696 1166, or visit the ASPM thematic website (aspm.pmsa.org.hk).