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Four employers were fined $85,700 at the Kwun Tong Magistracy today (October 3), after being convicted of offences under the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance. Meanwhile, the Authority pursued two claims in the Small Claims Tribunal for some $55,000 on behalf of two employees, who were owed MPF contributions by their employers.
Kelvin Lee Yiu Keung, trading as Chelsea Apparel Manufacturing Co. (BR no.: 31928015), was charged with offences under section 7A(8) of the Ordinance. The defendant pleaded guilty to seven counts of failing to make MPF contributions for an employee within the prescribed time for the contribution periods between September, 2003, and March, 2004. The defendant was fined $6,000 for the first summons and $2,500 each for the remaining summonses, totalling $21,000.
Rainbow Logistics (China) Limited (BR no.: 31047716) pleaded guilty to an offence under section 7(1) of the Ordinance and was fined $8,000 for failing to enrol an employee in an MPF scheme as required by the Ordinance.
Mok Leung, trading as Tung Man Trading Transportation Co. (BR no.: 20409024) was charged with offences under section 7A(8) of the Ordinance. The defendant pleaded guilty to 17 counts of failing to make MPF contributions within the prescribed time for the contribution periods between August, 2002, and March, 2003, and between January and September, 2005. The defendant was fined $7,000 for the first summons, $2,500 each for the remaining summonses and court cost of $1,700, totalling $48,700.
Vito Designs Limited (BR no.: 34087559) pleaded guilty to an offence under section 7(1) of the Ordinance. The defendant was fined $8,000 for failing to enrol an employee in an MPF scheme as required by the Ordinance.
At the tribunal's hearing today, the two defendants, Hallmark Fashions Limited and Gold Chance Logistics Limited, did not appear. In their absence, the Adjudicator ordered them to pay the MPFA the sums of $48,300 and $7,402.5, 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 $180 and $330 as the costs in respect of the claims.
Hallmark Fashions Limited pleaded guilty at Kwun Tong Magistracy earlier to three counts of failing to make MPF contributions on time and was fined $10,000.
Ends/Tuesday, October 3, 2006
Issued at HKT 18:41
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