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The following is issued on behalf of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority:
The Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) today (February 26) obtained five orders for payment of outstanding MPF contributions at about $490,000 against five employers in the District Court. Meanwhile, the MPFA pursued two claims in the Small Claims Tribunal for some $57,000 on behalf of seven employees, who were owed MPF contributions by their employers.
The District Court today issued five judgments against five employers, namely, Hip Wo Canning Manufacturing Limited, Brilliant Smart Engineering Limited, Rentom International (HK) Ltd, King Interior Design Limited and The Firm Limited. The defendants were ordered to pay the MPFA the sums of $156,014.04, $126,630, $105,386.94, $54,598.66 and $50,794, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable to 4, 3, 3, 9 and 27 employees of the defendants respectively.
At the tribunal's hearing today, a defendant, Plenty Profit Holdings Limited trading as Lucky Fellow Restaurant, did not dispute the amount claimed. The adjudicator ordered it to pay the MPFA the sum of $49,869.84, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable.
Another defendant, Common Rich Technology Limited, did not appear at today's hearing. In its absence, the adjudicator ordered it to pay the MPFA the sum of $8,058.96, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable.
The amounts both awarded at the District Court and the tribunal will be reimbursed to the employees' MPF accounts as soon as they are received by the MPFA. The District Court ordered the respective defendants each to pay costs of $930 and the tribunal ordered the respective defendants to pay $255 and $156 as the costs in respect of the claims.
Plenty Profit Holdings Limited trading as Lucky Fellow Restaurant and Common Rich Technology Limited pleaded guilty previously at Kwun Tong Magistracy to 20 counts and three counts respectively of failing to make MPF contributions on time and were fined $32,500 and $9,000.
Ends/Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Issued at HKT 17:33
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