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More than 640,000 public rental households will be issued with e-Payment Cards early next year to replace the Rent Cards currently used to pay their monthly rental.
The Deputy Director of Housing (Estate Management), Mr Lau Kai-hung, said the e-Payment Cards could shorten the waiting time at shroff offices as well as reduce manpower in replacing the Rent Cards once every two years.
"Convenience of our rent-payment service will be even further enhanced when other electronic payment modes are developed so that more rent collection points, such as convenience stores and post offices are made available in mid-2006," he added.
"The existing 159 shroff offices will be phased out from December, 2006, retaining about 30 of them at district level to provide backup service," he said, adding that this could save $20 million a year in operating and staff costs.
Mr Lau said that 64% of public rental housing tenants paid rents in person at the shroff offices in estate offices, 31% through autopay by banks and 5% by Phone Payment Service.
To help PRH tenants familiarise themselves with the new payment method, the Housing Department would recruit Social Work Assistants to form Community Service Teams to pay home visits to elderly tenants to provide supporting services.
Briefings to Estate Management Advisory Committees, publicity through the Housing Authority Channel and leaflets will also be arranged.
Ends/Friday, September 23, 2005
Issued at HKT 17:05
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