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The following is issued on behalf of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority:
The Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) today(November 16) obtained three orders in the District Court for payment of outstanding MPF contributions of about $730,000 against three employers. Meanwhile, the MPFA pursued 10 claims in the Small Claims Tribunal for some $270,000 on behalf of 87 employees, who were owed MPF contributions by their employers.
The District Court today issued judgments against three employers, namely, Chan Ping Hong trading as Express Engineering Company, Best Development Service Limited and Best Lines Limited. The defendants were ordered to pay the MPFA the sums of $373,876.3, $247,615.01 and $111,605.69, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable to 35, four and three employees of the defendants respectively.
Meanwhile, at the Tribunal's hearing today, five defendants, namely Hoi On Security Company Limited, Chan Wai Ling formerly trading as Ming Fat Food Company (formerly known as Ming Fat Meat Shop), Union Sea International Limited, Full Marks Industries Limited and Wong Kun Oi formerly trading as Kowloon Bay K.M.B. Food Co., did not dispute the amounts claimed. The Adjudicator ordered them to pay the MPFA the sums of $43,973.03, $37,800, $31,122, $20,188.72 and $3,700.72, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable.
The other five defendants, including Gallantly Limited, Wah Tai Farm Company Limited, Ho Yuen Ching, Chan Lap Shun & Chan Yung Mee formerly trading as Melson Pharmacy, RCP Consulting Limited and Lo Chi Ho & Wong Sui Yin trading as LKT Limousine Service Co., did not appear at today's hearing. In their absence, the Adjudicator ordered them to pay the MPFA the sums of $45,197.18, $41,233.62, $29,888.25, $16,083.5 and $8,342.32, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable.
The amounts awarded at the District Court and the Tribunal will be reimbursed to the employees' MPF accounts as soon as they are received by the MPFA. The District Court further ordered the defendants to pay costs of $930 each and the Tribunal ordered the respective defendants to pay $160, $230, $176, $206, $150, $170, $176, $280, $156 and $170 as the costs in respect of the claims.
Hoi On Security Company Limited and Wah Tai Farm Company Limited pleaded guilty previously at Kwun Tong Magistracy to one count of failing to enroll an employee in an MPF scheme as required by the Ordinance and four counts of failing to make MPF contributions on time, and were fined the respective sums of $8,000 and $10,500.
Ends/Friday, November 16, 2007
Issued at HKT 18:00
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