Skip to main content

Home > Press Releases > 2020 > Completed Vetting of Legislative Amendment of ERB Retraining Allowance to a maximum of $5,800 per month

Completed Vetting of Legislative Amendment of ERB Retraining Allowance to a maximum of $5,800 per month

The legislative vetting of the amendment of Schedule 4 of the Employees Retraining Ordinance for the Employees Retraining Board (ERB) to revise the maximum amount of retraining allowance payable monthly in respect of a trainee attending specific training courses of ERB from $4,000 to $5,800 was completed.  As stipulated in the “Employees Retraining Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 4) Notice 2020” (the Notice), the new statutory cap of retraining allowance has taken effect on 25 May 2020, and is applicable to all ERB regular placement-tied courses and courses under the “Love Upgrading Special Scheme” with classes commencing on or after that day.   

The legislative amendment of the related ordinance was arranged in accordance with the negative vetting procedure.  With the assistance of the Labour and Welfare Bureau, ERB submitted the Notice to the Legislative Council on 25 March 2020.  The Notice was published in the Gazette on 27 March and planned to be tabled at the Legislative Council meeting on 1 April 2020.  Owing to the rescheduling of the council meeting, the Notice was tabled on 22 April 2020.  A subcommittee under the House Committee of the Legislative Council was then formed to scrutinise the proposed amendment.  The vetting period expired on 10 June 2020 with no further amendment proposed, marking the completion of the legislative amendment.

The purpose of ERB in disbursing retraining allowance is to subsidise trainees on their travelling and lunch expenses during the training period.  Details of the disbursement arrangement are available on the ERB website (www.erb.org).  Should trainees and members of the public have any enquiries, please contact respective training bodies direct.  For other queries, please call ERB hotline 182 182 or visit the ERB website. 

Post Date:12/6/2020