The 2021/22 revised estimate for fines, forfeitures and penalties was HK$2.36 billion, a 31.8 percent increase over the original estimate.

Driving the increase was court fines and statutory penalties, which will amount to HK$785 million in the 2021/22 fiscal year – 74.8 percent more than the previous projection.

The surge is mainly due to the “higher-than-expected revenue from fixed penalties imposed for prevention and control of disease”, and fines ordered by the Securities and Futures Commission and Hong Kong Monetary Authority, according to the government.

As for fixed penalties for traffic contraventions, the government is expected to make HK$1.08 billion in the 2021/22 year – 5.37 percent more than the original estimate.

The amount is projected to increase further to HK$1.18 billion for 2022/23 – equivalent to 2.95 million HK$400 tickets a year, or 8,000 such tickets a day.