A Government spokesman said today (September 1) that the second tranche of the Employment Support Scheme (ESS) had received, up to 6pm today, a total of around 83 000 applications from employers and over 6 000 from self-employed persions (SEPs) since the commencement of the two-week application period yesterday (August 31). Among the employers' applications received so far, about 95 per cent of the employer applicants had successfully applied for the first tranche of the ESS.   

     The spokesman said, "Eligible employers and SEPs wishing to apply for the second tranche of wage subsidies under the Employment Support Scheme (ESS) should submit their applications before 11.59pm on September 13 (Sunday), the deadline for application, through the ESS portal at www.ess.gov.hk."

     "We will expeditiously process all the applications received. Most eligible employers who have provided accurate and complete information are expected to receive wage subsidies in three to four weeks after submission of their application."

     Upon completion of the processing of applications, the ESS Secretariat will inform successful applicants of the results via SMS and email. Applicants can log in to the ESS portal to check the amount of subsidy granted and the committed paid headcount for the months of September to November 2020.

     In addition, SEPs with "MPF self-employed person" accounts which have not been terminated as of March 31 can also submit applications for the $7,500 one-off lump sum subsidy during the application period for the second tranche of the ESS if they have not received the subsidy in the first tranche.
  
     For enquiries, please send an email to enquiry@employmentsupport.hk or call the ESS hotline (1836 122). The service hours of the hotline are as follows:
 

August 31 – September 9	9am to 6pm
September 10 – 12	9am to 8pm
September 13	9am to 0.30am of the following day

 
     Applicants who need assistance in completing their online applications may call the ESS hotline to make appointments with the following three ESS Help Desks during the application period.
 
• North Point Help Desk at Room 1701, A T Tower, 180 Electric Road, North Point;
• Kwun Tong Help Desk at Room 2507, Prosperity Center, 25 Chong Yip Street, Kwun Tong; and
• Tsuen Wan Help Desk at Room 1206, Chinachem Tsuen Wan Plaza, 455 Castle Peak Road - Tsuen Wan.
 
     The service hours of the ESS Help Desks are as follows:
 

August 31 – September 9	9am to 6pm
September 10 – 12	9am to 8pm
September 13	9am to 10pm

 
     The service hours of the ESS hotline and the Help Desks will remain in service from Monday to Friday (9am to 6pm) to answer enquiries beyond the application period.

Ends/Tuesday, September 1, 2020
Issued at HKT 19:45

NNNN