MR YIU SI-WING (in Cantonese):

President, as far as the issue of principal payment holidays is concerned, the Government has not directly responded to Mr Jimmy NG's question. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority ("HKMA") indicated only that it would listen to views, but now the scheme is only two months away from expiry.

 

Recently, I have also received reports from local tour coach companies that the banks have already begun to ask them to prepare for repayment of the principal. Under such circumstances, the tour coach companies are certainly very much at a loss about what to do because the current capital chain rupture has rendered them incapable of repaying the principal.

 

I would like to ask the Secretary … Since the Secretary is in charge of this area, I urge him to see whether HKMA can give a response on the issue of principal payment holidays as soon as possible, or at least extend the scheme to the middle of next year as in the case of the SME Financing Guarantee Scheme. If such an arrangement is put in place, I will be really grateful to the Government, because SMEs are having a tough time.

 

SECRETARY FOR COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (in Cantonese):

 

President, I understand the question raised by Mr YIU Si-wing, which I have also heard on other occasions in the past. As far as the reply is concerned, that is the way things stand now. I will be pleased to relay the question, but I do not know … It just so happens that the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury is present. I believe he will relay this question on our behalf and then give a joint reply.