The Government today said it will allocate $10 million under the Anti-epidemic Fund to provide a one-off $15,000 financial assistance to each local exhibitor registered with the Hong Kong Book Fair 2020.

The event, originally scheduled for July last year, was deferred twice due to COVID-19.

The Commerce & Economic Development Bureau said the annual book fair is the main sales and promotional platform for the local publishing and printing sector. The Book Fair 2020 being deferred twice has seriously affected the exhibitors.

The financial aid could help them explore online sales and other sales channels before the book fair’s next edition, thereby helping tide the trade over this challenging time, the bureau added.

Around 610 eligible local exhibitors except government departments will benefit from the measure.

Book fair organiser the Trade Development Council, will soon follow up with the exhibitors concerned on the disbursement arrangements. The majority of payments are expected to be made in May.

Subject to the epidemic’s development, the next edition of the book fair is tentatively scheduled for this July.