🌊 $10,000 handouts in new budget

SMEs haven't been forgotten

Feb 24, 2022

Good morning.

We appreciate your patience as Tide comes in later than usual today due to the overbearing news and the time difference as I do my best to balance life in the UK with HT.

— Jasmine Lee

On Today’s Tide

HT Original | Why ASEAN, not China nor the West, is the best hope for Myanmar’s double crises in 2022

COVID-19 | SMEs given three to six months’ rent relief.

Budget | $10,000 handouts, millions go to COVID fight, and more.

Events | Live in Quebec.

Behind the paywall:

Diplomat | British Consulate gives a phone number for those separated from children.

Apply | Osborn Elliot Prize.

Why ASEAN, not China nor the West, is the best hope for Myanmar’s double crises in 2022

HT Originals

*A Tatmadaw sign in 2014. Image: Adam Jones* *via Flickr*

A year since the Myanmar military coup, the country’s double crises have continued to linger. Independent global affairs researcher Neville Lai argues that it is ASEAN, with its flexible, and consensus-driven, yet informal and collaborative framework that will guide Myanmar out of chaos and not China or Western powers.

Read it in full

The Budget 2022

See Hong Kong Free Press’ summary here.

Coming in 2022’s budget are:

$10,000 consumption vouchers
$54 billion “to fight COVID-19”
tax cuts, property rate concessions, electricity subsidies
The Northern Metropolis Plan: a $100 billion plan
Police get a vehicle and gear budget of $508 million (4x the budget of previous years)

Hong Kong SAR Government News @newsgovhk

The Centre for Health Protection says it is investigating 8,674 additional #COVID19 cases, of which three are imported and the rest are locally infected, bringing the total number of positive cases in Hong Kong to 75,248

news.gov.hk8.6k virus cases recordedThe Centre for Health Protection says it is investigating 8,674 additional COVID-19 cases, of which three are imported and the rest are locally infected, bringing the total number of positive cases in Hong Kong to 75,248.

New cases: 8,674

Deaths: 43

SMEs have been given three to six months of rental relief and guaranteed loans of up to $9 million.

Not much change in our International schools:

They all met with the EDB in the morning about COVID restrictions, many are saying they’ll continue with the planned school year including Easter and Summer as scheduled
Local schools continue with Carrie Lam’s plan. ‘Summer’ till mid-April then 3 months holiday in July.

Mask rule and social distancing rules tightened

You can’t take off your mask when doing heavy exercise or hiking in country parks either anymore because trees spread COVID more than normal people or something of the sort.
Food and drink on public transit were also banned (even though it was already banned by transport police).

Compulsory test notices were issued for 21 specified places (see Annex for details).

Lockdown updates:

Residential buildings have been locked down in Kwun Tong, Cheung Sha Wan, and Sheung Shui.
160 cases were found after a lockdown in Heng Fung House in Ma On Shan.

Events / Exhibitions etc

We want to make sure that what we advertise is interesting for our readers, so if you go to an event that you saw here, let us know by taking a selfie and tagging us on Twitter or Instagram ( both @harbourtimes ).

We’ll throw in a free month of Paid High Tide for yourself or a friend!

Work and Love in Québec Webinar

Thinking about living in Québec? This is the webinar for you. As someone who has lived in the province, I can recommend it — just make sure you dress for the frigid weather!