Eligible Hong Kong permanent residents can register for the government's cash handout of 10,000 HK dollars (about 1,290 U.S. dollars) from June 21 and will receive the money as soon as July 8, Hong Kong's financial chief announced on Monday.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government earlier unveiled a string of measures to relieve the public's financial burden amid economic hardship, including handing out 10,000 HK dollars to each Hong Kong permanent resident aged 18 or above.

Financial Secretary of the HKSAR government Chan Mo-po said at a press conference on Monday that the measure, involving about 71 billion HK dollars in expenditure, is expected to benefit about seven million people.

In February, Chan announced the plan and said the budget will focus on helping businesses and relieving people's burdens, adding that in 2020 the novel coronavirus outbreak will put great pressure on the labor market but the economy will recover after the pandemic ends.

The plan includes tax deductions, cash handouts, and introducing low-interest loans for small and medium enterprises.

(With input from Xinhua)