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Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, at a media session after attending Flag Presentation Ceremony for HK Contingent to Homeless World Cup 2012 today (September 30):
Reporter: When do you think the new minimum wage rate level will come into effect, when will be the fastest?
Secretary for Labour and Welfare: We need to follow a due process. In terms of timeline, first of all the Minimum Wage Commission is expected to submit its report to the Chief Executive by the end of October. From then on, we need to scrutinise internally, and then put it to the Executive Council for a final decision. Once the Executive Council has decided on the level of the rate, we will then go to the Legislative Council, particularly we need to go to the Manpower Panel in the first instance, to be followed by the legislative process to get the subsidiary legislation amended. It would all take time. I would have thought that probably in early next year, January or February, would be the time we will see the law amended. And allowing time for employers to adjust their contracts and so on, we expect the new rate to come into effect no later than May 1 next year, the Labour Day. So, there is a due process but we would certainly compress the timeline. We are aware of the anxiety and wishes of the working population. We would do what we can to compress the timetable but certainly it takes a bit of time for us to complete the process.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Sunday, September 30, 2012
Issued at HKT 14:06
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