The Food & Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) announced today that the schemes to provide financial support for the catering, commercial bathhouse and places of public entertainment sectors under the sixth round of the Anti-epidemic Fund will be open for applications from February 21 until March 21.

The new Catering Business Subsidy Scheme will provide a one-off subsidy ranging from $100,000 to $500,000 to eligible licence holders of general restaurants, light refreshment restaurants, marine restaurants and factory canteens in operation according to the floor areas of the premises as specified on their licences. Over 17,700 licensed catering outlets stand to benefit.

For each eligible catering outlet mentioned above, if it also runs a karaoke establishment, nightclub and bar or pub and has closed the whole of its licensed premises as directed under the Prevention & Control of Disease (Requirement & Directions) (Business & Premises) Regulation, it is eligible to apply for an additional one-off subsidy of $50,000 according to the respective business.

The Government will also provide financial support to licensees of eligible food factory licences in food courts inside shopping malls. "Food court" refers to a place inside a shopping mall comprising licensed food factories and adjoining seating area with both tables and chairs/stools provided by the shopping mall property management/owner for non-exclusive use by its visitors, which may include patrons of the licensed food factories.

Each licensee of an eligible licensed food factory in operation is eligible for a one-off subsidy ranging from $20,000 to $100,000 according to the licensed area of its premises. If the business is not run by the licence holder, an affirmation of every business operator on supporting the subsidy application is required. About 1,700 licensees of eligible licensed food factories will benefit from the scheme.

As regards cooked food/light refreshment market stall tenants as well as those holding a hawker licence and operating a cooked food business in public housing developments, each tenant or licensee is eligible to apply for a one-off subsidy of $50,000. About 1,000 operators are expected to benefit.

Separately, the Commercial Bathhouse Licence Holder Subsidy Scheme will provide a one-off subsidy of $100,000 to each eligible licence holder of a commercial bathhouse. The Places of Public Entertainment Licence Holder Subsidy Scheme will provide a one-off subsidy of $100,000 for each eligible holder of a places of public entertainment licence (PPEL)(excluding cinema operators eligible under the Cinemas Subsidy Scheme) and $20,000 for each eligible holder of a temporary places of public entertainment licence (TPPEL). The schemes are expected to benefit the licence holders of around 50 commercial bathhouses, about 570 PPEL holders and TPPEL holders.

Corporate applicants should hold a valid Certificate of Incorporation under the Companies Ordinance with status "live" as shown in the Integrated Companies Registry Information System of the Registrar of Companies throughout the application for subsidy under AEF 6.0. In addition, the applicant should not be bankrupt/wound-up or subject to any bankruptcy or winding up procedure/proceedings throughout application to the date of receiving the subsidy.

For eligible holders of a food licence, liquor licence, karaoke establishment permit, commercial bathhouse licence and places of public entertainment licence, the application forms and guidelines can be obtained from various FEHD District Environmental Hygiene Offices from February 21.

The application documents and details of the schemes can also be downloaded from the department's website.

The FEHD will distribute application forms separately to its cooked food/light refreshment market stall tenants as well as hawker licensees who operate a cooked food business in public housing developments. They do not need to make applications online.

The Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department (AFCD) also announced today that it is disbursing one-off ex-gratia payments under the fund's fifth round to local pet shops that sell hamsters.

The department noted that applications for the payment opened on January 29. As of today, it has received a total of 29 applications and 17 of them have been approved.

Ex-gratia payments by crossed cheques are being posted to the successful applicants, involving payments of around $360,000.