Fire-hit homeowners to get HK$100,000 subsidy

Each homeowner of fire-hit Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po district of Hong Kong is set to receive a onetime subsidy of HK$100,000($12,851), as the support fund reaches HK$3.4 billion, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration Warner Cheuk Wing-hing announced on Wednesday.

Cheuk said the fatal fire caused some owners to lose rental income, and that many had previously renovated and maintained their flats, and were now facing cash flow pressures.

If a flat has multiple owners, the subsidy will be distributed proportionally among them, he added.

He noted that the one-off allowance was approved during a steering committee meeting on Wednesday.

Cheuk said the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court, established by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government on Nov 27, has received HK$3.1 billion in donations. Combined with the government's initial capital injection of HK$300 million, the fund has reached HK$3.4 billion.

Cheuk, who oversees the support fund, noted that it has received over 263,000 donations. Among these, 170 contributions of at least HK$5 million each total approximately HK$1.7 billion, accounting for more than half of all public donations received.

The Inland Revenue Department will make special arrangements to assist donors. Cheuk said that donors who contribute HK$50,000 or less and transfer the funds into the dedicated account need only retain the relevant records for verification to be eligible for a tax deduction.

The government will start processing donation receipts from next week, Cheuk added, stressing that the fund will be used to assist residents in rebuilding their homes and providing long-term and sustained support.

Of the individual donations, a total of 257,000 amounted to less than HK$10,000.

The total amount of subsidies committed is approximately HK$460 million. So far, 1,617 cases have received a HK$100,000 living allowance. The support fund will provide families of each deceased victim with a HK$200,000 token of solidarity, as well as HK$50,000 to cover funeral costs; to date, a total of 106 cases have been processed.

Assistance subsidies ranging from HK$50,000 to HK$100,000 have been granted to 64 injured cases, Cheuk said. Additionally, a one-off aid payment of HK$20,000 has been distributed to 63 foreign domestic helpers, 220 students and 110 workers.

The blaze, which broke out at Wang Fuk Court on Nov 26, has killed at least 160 people as of Wednesday, and seven of the eight blocks in the court are damaged. Six people are still missing, and all of those injured are now in a stable condition.