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The following is issued on behalf of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority:
An employer was fined $15,000 at the Kwun Tong Magistracy today (September 22), after being convicted of an offence under the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance (the "Ordinance").
The defendant, Lead Young Sea & Air Freight Co Ltd (BR no: 18654031) was charged for an offence under section 7(1) of the Ordinance. The defendant was found guilty on a count for failing to enroll one employee in MPF schemes as required by the Ordinance and was fined $15,000 for the summons.
Meanwhile, the MPFA today pursued six claims in the Small Claims Tribunal for some $86,000 on behalf of 14 employees who were owed MPF contributions by their employers.
At the tribunal's hearing today, three of the defendants, Yue Sang Engineering Ltd, Hui Kwong On trading as Nam Wah Tung Kong Restaurant and Well Union Maritime Limited, did not dispute the amounts claimed. The adjudicator ordered them to pay the MPFA the sums of $29,064.32, $13,514.55 and $6,471.93, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable.
The other three defendants, Rua De Macau owned by Easyfull Limited, Plenty Profit Holdings Limited trading as Lucky Fellow Restaurant and Lucky Progress International Limited, did not appear at today¡¦s hearing. In their absence, the adjudicator ordered them to pay the MPFA the sums of $18,070.74, $17,180.85 and $2,014.42, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable.
The amounts awarded at the tribunal will be reimbursed to the employees' MPF accounts as soon as they are received by the MPFA. The tribunal ordered the respective defendants to pay $196, $170, $96, $180, $120 and $166 as the costs in respect of the claims.
Plenty Profit Holdings Limited trading as Lucky Fellow Restaurant pleaded guilty previously at Kwun Tong Magistracy to 20 counts of failing to make MPF contributions on time and was fined $32,500.
Ends/Monday, September 22, 2008
Issued at HKT 18:07
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