Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui today visited the Government Property Agency to learn about its enhanced property management measures and support for frontline workers amid the COVID-19 epidemic.

Mr Hui toured various divisions of the department and was briefed on their work, including the infection control measures implemented in joint-user government office buildings to combat COVID-19 and operations after public services had returned to normal.

He said the Government had made use of the Anti-epidemic Fund to provide a $1,000 monthly allowance to each of the eligible cleaning and security staff for not more than four months in the fight against the epidemic.

As one of the major departments engaging contractors for cleaning and security services, it had made arrangements with contractors to disperse the March and April allowance amounting to approximately $6 million that benefitted some 3,000 workers, Mr Hui noted.

Additionally, the Government announced earlier a series of measures to support enterprises and safeguard jobs, including rent concessions for about 290 tenancies managed by the department, benefitting about 140 tenants.

Another key area of its work is to take forward projects with cross-department facilities in implementing the single site, multiple use model in multi-storey development on government land to optimise the use of land resources.

Mr Hui said the Government Property Agency provides strong support to all other departments, providing timely solutions to ensure the effective implementation of infection prevention measures that safeguard the well-being of officers working in government buildings and members of the public visiting the premises for public services.