The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau announced today (March 27) that it has approved the following five applications (involving six production lines) under the Local Mask Production Subsidy Scheme:
 
(1) Step Out Technology Limited has been approved for obtaining subsidy for one production line, which is expected to supply an average of 2 million masks to the Government every month starting from April 10, and produce a further 20 000 masks for the local market on average every month. The production line may receive a subsidy of up to $2.5 million.

(2) Wilson Tech (International) Limited has been approved for obtaining subsidy for one production line, which is expected to supply an average of 1.5 million masks to the Government every month starting from April 14. The production line may receive a subsidy of up to $2 million.
 
(3) S.E.C. Hong Kong Factory Limited has been approved for obtaining subsidy for one production line, which is expected to supply an average of 1 million masks to the Government every month starting from April 15. The production line may receive a subsidy of up to $2 million.
 
(4) Platform Management Service Limited has been approved for obtaining subsidy for one production line, which is expected to supply an average of 1.5 million masks to the Government every month starting from April 30. The production line may receive a subsidy of up to $2 million.
 
(5) Creative International Technology Limited has been approved for obtaining subsidy for two production lines, each of which is expected to supply an average of 2 million masks to the Government every month starting from May 2. The two production lines may receive subsidies of up to $2.5 million and $1.5 million respectively.
 
     The actual subsidy amount for each of the abovementioned production line under the Scheme is contingent upon the actual expenditure for production equipment and setting up the venue and clean room facilities, as well as testing and standards compliance, and will be finalised when the expenditure is confirmed.
 
     Together with the two production lines approved last week, a total of eight production lines have been approved under the Scheme. The Scheme will provide subsidies to a maximum of 20 local production lines, and there remains a subsidy quota of 12 production lines. Having reviewed the information provided in the applications received so far, the Government estimated that the number of potentially eligible production lines would very likely have exceeded the remaining quota. Therefore, the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) who is administering the Scheme has stopped receiving applications from today. Pursuant to the provisions in the application guide, the Government will allocate the remaining quota to production lines according to their expected starting dates for supplying masks to the Government.
 
     As of yesterday (March 26), the Scheme attracted a total of 103 applications. Among them, seven applications (involving eight production lines) have been approved; four applications (involving five production lines), after verification, have been confirmed to have met all eligibility criteria of the Scheme; the eligibility of 23 applications (involving 33 production lines) is being verified by the HKPC through document check and on-site inspection; and the remaining 69 applications have yet to meet all eligibility criteria.
 
     The Government launched the Scheme under the Anti-epidemic Fund to facilitate local production of masks as soon as possible to help address the imminent shortage as well as to build up stock.

Ends/Friday, March 27, 2020
Issued at HKT 9:00

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