Lawmaker calls for loan limits for domestic workers
Lawmaker calls for loan limits for domestic workers
Edward Leung (centre) said the government will conduct a public consultation at the end of the month to address over-borrowing issues. Photo: RTHK
DAB lawmaker Edward Leung on Sunday urged the government to establish lending limits and interest rate ceilings to prevent over-borrowing by foreign domestic workers.
Leung said there is a concern about excessive borrowing and allegedly unethical practices of financial institutions pursuing debts from helpers using illegal methods.
"We advocate that the amount that [financial institutions] could lend to the domestic helpers depends on, first of all, the remaining contract months that they have, and the amount that they could pay back each month will be 30 percent of their monthly income," he said.
"For example, they have six more months left in their contract, and their monthly income is HK$5,000, then HK$1,500 times six months will be the total amount that they could borrow.
"This is the limit that we advocate, and this is agreed by many employers and also many agents that we have talked to."
He said the government should also step up publicity and education to better protect the interests of foreign domestic helpers and their employers.
"The government [should] provide seminars for them regarding their rights and also the laws in Hong Kong because...for [other] foreign workers in Hong Kong, they have to attend a seminar organised by the government within eight months that they have arrived in Hong Kong," he said.
"However, for domestic workers, they do not have such kind of seminars, and that could cause problems such as the over-borrowing and borrowing money from non-licensed financial institutions.
"That's why we advocate that the government should offer seminars for domestic workers within eight weeks after they have arrived in Hong Kong."
Leung said the government will conduct a public consultation at the end of the month to address over-borrowing issues.
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