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The following is issued on behalf of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority:
An officer and an employer were fined $36,000 at the Kwun Tong Magistracy today (January 12), after being convicted of offences under the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance (Cap. 485).
Lau Yuk Por, Officer of Store Concept Limited, was charged for an offence under section 7(1) and section 44 of the Ordinance. The defendant was fined $6,000 for the summons for failing to enroll its employee in an Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) scheme as required by the Ordinance.
Lau Yuk Por, Officer of Store Concept Limited, was also charged for an offence under section 7AA(7) and section 44 of the Ordinance. The defendant pleaded guilty to four counts of failing to make MPF contributions to the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) for its employee who was not a member of a registered scheme within the prescribed time for the contribution periods between January and April 2009. The defendant was fined $3,000 for each summons, totalling $12,000.
At the same time, Store Concept Limited was charged for an offence under section 7(1) of the Ordinance. The defendant was fined $6,000 for the summons for failing to enroll its employee in an MPF scheme as required by the Ordinance.
Store Concept Limited was also charged for an offence under section 7AA(7) of the Ordinance. The defendant pleaded guilty to four counts of failing to make MPF contributions to the MPFA for its employee who was not a member of registered scheme within the prescribed time for the contribution periods between January and April 2009. The defendant was fined $3,000 for each summons, totalling $12,000.
Moreover, the MPFA today pursued six claims in the Small Claims Tribunal for some $103,000 on behalf of six employees, who were owed MPF contributions by their employers.
At the Tribunal's hearing today, three defendants, namely Keen Centre Limited, Animalia Company Ltd and Scenery Tours Limited, did not dispute the amounts claimed. The Adjudicator ordered them to pay the MPFA the sums of $38,841.3, $11,096 and $6,795, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable.
The other three defendants, namely Tranquil Touches Company Limited, Sing Tat Construction Engineering Co and Chan Chi Wai, David and Tam Chun formerly trading as Dei Dao, did not appear. In their absence, the Adjudicator ordered them to pay the MPFA the sums of $28,756.37, $14,702.67 and $3,327.1, 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 Tribunal further ordered the respective defendants to pay $160, $96, $96, $156, $119 and $120 as the costs in respect of the claims.
Ends/Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Issued at HKT 18:05
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