************************************

The Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) today (May 15) pursued six claims in the Small Claims Tribunal, totalling some $151,000 on behalf of nine employees, who were owed MPF contributions by their employers.

The defendants were Hin Sum Manpower Company Limited, Gold United Enterprises Limited trading as Pacific Seafood Restaurant, Sunlink Limited, Creative Design Fashions Limited, Law Ping Ming trading as Terence Transportation Company and Kimford Trading Limited.

Hin Sum Manpower Company Limited pleaded guilty at Kwun Tong Magistracy earlier to six counts of failing to make MPF contributions on time and was fined $21,000. In two separate cases earlier, Sunlink Limited pleaded guilty to six and three counts of failing to make MPF contributions on time and was fined $21,000 and $10,000 respectively.

At today's hearing, Hin Sum Manpower Company Limited did not dispute the amount claimed. The Adjudicator ordered it to pay the MPFA the sum of $46,915.03, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable.

The other defendants, namely, Gold United Enterprises Limited trading as Pacific Seafood Restaurant, Sunlink Limited, Creative Design Fashions Limited, Law Ping Ming trading as Terence Transportation Company and Kimford Trading Limited did not appear at today's hearing. In their absence, the Adjudicator ordered them to pay the MPFA the sum of $39,457.94, $37,300.15, $13,771.52, $11,783.00 and $2,018.34 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 court further awarded payments of $295, $290, $430, $350, $280 and $330 as costs in respect of the claims.

End/Thursday, May 15, 2003

NNNN