*******************************************
An employer was fined $31,000 at the Kwun Tong Magistracy today (September 22), after being convicted of nine offences under the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance.
In today's hearing, the defendant, Seekers Limited trading as Ching Yeung Lau Seafood Chinese Restaurant, was convicted on nine counts of failing to make MPF contributions on time, after making deductions from the income of two employees between September 2004 and January 2005. The defendant was fined $5,000 each for the first and sixth summonses, and $3,000 each for the other seven summonses, totalling $31,000.
Meanwhile, the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) today pursued three claims in the Small Claims Tribunal for about $50,000 on behalf of four employees, who were owed MPF contributions by their employers.
At today's hearing, two defendants, Stereo Ltd and Epoch Enterprise Group Limited, did not dispute the amounts claimed. The Adjudicator ordered them to pay the MPFA the sums of $42,517.72 and $5,507.95 respectively, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable.
The other defendant, Evertime Construction Engineering Limited, did not appear at today's hearing. In its absence, the Adjudicator ordered it to pay the MPFA the sum of $1,823.69, 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 $170, $310 and $120 as costs in respect of the claims.
Stereo Ltd pleaded guilty at Kwun Tong Magistracy earlier to 24 counts of failing to make MPF contributions on time and was fined $24,000.
Ends/Thursday, September 22, 2005
Issued at HKT 18:49
NNNN
