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The following is issued on behalf of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority:
An officer and four employers were fined a total of $127,000 at the Kwun Tong Magistracy today (March 8) after being convicted of offences under the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance (the "Ordinance").
Ip Fung Ching Rebecca, an officer of Wide Group Limited (BR no.: 34726185) was charged with offences under section 43E(1) of the Ordinance for making false or misleading statements. The defendant pleaded guilty to 4 counts of misreporting the "relevant income" of an employee to a trustee. The defendant was fined $6,000 for each summons, totalling $24,000.
Wide Group Limited was charged with offences under section 43E(1) of the Ordinance for making false or misleading statements. The defendant pleaded guilty to 5 counts of misreporting the "relevant income" of an employee to a trustee. The defendant was fined $6,000 for each summons, totalling $30,000.
Comfort International Travel (HK) Company Limited (BR no.: 32634726) was charged with offences under section 7A(8) of the Ordinance and pleaded guilty to 17 counts of failing to make MPF contributions for an employee within the prescribed time for the contribution periods from August 2008 to December 2009. The defendant was fined $2,000 for first 3 summonses and $3,000 for each of the remaining 14 summonses, totalling $48,000.
Kwan Man Chiu trading as We'ar (BR no.: 35956456) was charged with an offence under section 7(1) of the Ordinance. The defendant pleaded guilty to a count of failing to enrol an employee in an MPF scheme as required by the Ordinance and was fined $6,000 for the summons.
Kwan Man Chiu trading as We'ar was also charged with offences under section 7AA(7) of the Ordinance and pleaded guilty to 5 counts of failing to make MPF contributions to the MPFA for an employee who was not a member of a registered scheme within the prescribed time for the contribution periods from March to July 2010. The defendant was fined $3,000 for each summons, totalling $15,000.
Chung Tan Fong trading as First Concept (BR no.: 51865178) was charged with offences under section 7A(2)(b) of the Ordinance. The defendant pleaded guilty to 2 counts of failing to deduct the prescribed amount from the relevant income of an employee for the contribution periods in March and April 2010 as the MPF contributions by the employee. The defendant was fined $2,000 for each summons, totalling $4,000.
Meanwhile, the MPFA successfully pursued 3 claims in the Small Claims Tribunal for some $81,000 on behalf of 15 employees, who were owed MPF contributions by their employers.
At the Tribunal's hearings today, the defendant, Marketplace Publications Limited, Quan Fat Hing trading as Walter Quan & Co. and Li Man Kwong trading as Wui Loong Fung Printing Co, did not appear. In their absence, the Adjudicator ordered them to pay the MPFA $45,433.56, $18,490.5 and $17,244.18 respectively, 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 Adjudicator ordered the defendants to pay $156, $139 and $149 respectively as the costs of the claims.
Ends/Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Issued at HKT 20:32
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