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An employer was fined $40,000 at the Kwun Tong Magistracy today (September 12), after being convicted of an offence under the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance. The authority also pursued three claims in the Small Claims Tribunal for some $78,000 on behalf of 15 employees, who were owed MPF contributions by their employers.
Man Cheong Construction Engineering Company Limited was charged with an offence under section 7A(8). The defendant was convicted on five counts of failing to make MPF contributions for an employee within the prescribed time for the contribution periods between October, 2004, and February, 2005. The defendant was fined $8,000 for each summons, totalling $40,000.
At the tribunal's hearing today, the defendants- Bright Charter (Hong Kong) Limited trading as Tung Lok Hin, Active Gainer Limited and Billion State International Investment Limited trading as Sure Take Seafood Restaurant - did not appear. In their absence, the Adjudicator ordered them to pay the MPFA the sums of $42,567.7, $27,630.34 and $8,382.48, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable.
The amounts awarded will be reimbursed to the employees' MPF accounts as soon as they are received by the MPFA. The court further awarded payments of $400, $120 and $280 as the costs in respect of the claims.
Bright Charter (Hong Kong) Limited trading as Tung Lok Hin pleaded guilty at Kwun Tong Magistracy earlier to 20 counts of failing to make MPF contributions on time and was fined $55,500.
Ends/Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:57
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