Four Continuing Education Fund courses suspended
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     The Labour and Welfare Bureau has announced that all reimbursable courses offered by Inter-Pro Beauty Architect School Limited have been suspended from registration as reimbursable courses under the Continuing Education Fund (CEF) with immediate effect today (February 20).
 
     The decision was made in accordance with the terms and conditions of approval for CEF registration set out in the approval letters issued to Inter-Pro Beauty Architect School Limited for these courses. The decision was made on the grounds that two persons who act respectively as the Responsible Person and the Course Director of the CEF courses of the course provider have recently been convicted of an offence of conspiracy to defraud.
 
     A spokesman for the bureau said, "Inter-Pro Beauty Architect School Limited has to inform all affected CEF applicants about the course suspension. If the courses have not yet begun on or prior to the date of suspension, the course provider must refund in full all course fees and related payments to the CEF applicants within one month after the date of suspension. It has to continue to run the commenced CEF courses until completion for those who have enrolled on or prior to the date of suspension. Moreover, after the date of suspension, the course provider must not accept new enrolment applications for the courses purportedly as CEF reimbursable courses and must not promote them as CEF reimbursable courses. No subsidy will be paid out of the CEF to the participants of these courses enrolling after the date of suspension."
 
     A list of the CEF courses suspended is in the Annex.
 
     The spokesman stressed that the Office of Continuing Education Fund will continue to monitor CEF courses provided by course providers closely. Apart from authenticating attendance records of learners, assessment results and their claims for reimbursement, it conducts surprise visits to course providers to ensure that the conditions of approval are fully complied with.
 
     For enquiries, please contact the Office of Continuing Education Fund at 3142 2277 or write by email, post or fax.

Ends/Monday, February 20, 2017
Issued at HKT 15:30

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