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Continuing Education Fund (CEF) course providers will collect their course fees in equal monthly instalments starting from April 1 this year, a spokesman for the Labour and Welfare Bureau said today (March 26).
The measure will apply to learners who register for CEF courses on or after April 1.
The spokesman said that currently only new course providers registering their courses under the CEF for the first time in or after February 2008 were required to collect their course fees in equal monthly instalments.
The requirement will now apply irrespective of the registration date of the course providers under the CEF to better protect learners from possible financial loss in the event of discontinuation of business of the course providers when course fees have been paid in full prior to the commencement of the programme.
The spokesman said, "This is a key initiative in a package of improvement measures to ensure the quality of CEF courses and to protect the interest of learners. Other measures which have already been implemented following the review of the CEF in mid-2009 include further stepping up inspection of course providers to ensure that the conditions of approval are observed, enhancing the website of the Office of the Continuing Education Fund (OCEF) and strengthening communication with course providers.
"All these measures, in particular the equal-monthly-instalment requirement, have the support of the Legislative Council Finance Committee and Panel on Manpower."
The Government announced to all CEF course providers the equal-monthly-instalment requirement back in July 2009. The implementation date has been set for April 1, 2010, to provide adequate lead time for them to sort out the operational and administrative arrangements.
Information about CEF courses and the equal-monthly-instalment requirement is available on the website of the OCEF (www.sfaa.gov.hk/cef). Applicants are advised to visit the OCEF's website in choosing courses that best suit their needs.
For enquiries, please contact the OCEF at 3142 2277 or cef@sfaa.gov.hk.
Ends/Friday, March 26, 2010
Issued at HKT 18:17
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