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The Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) today (December 18) pursued eight claims in the Small Claims Tribunal for some $220,000 on behalf of 48 employees, who were owed MPF contributions by their employers.
At today's hearing, the defendant Compact Building Materials Company Limited did not dispute the amount claimed. The Adjudicator ordered it to pay the MPFA $26,474.58 being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable.
The other seven defendants - Pacific Long Distance Telephone Corporation Limited, Chan Chun Kit trading as Power Engineering Company, Cheung Chi Loi trading as Wison Offset Printing Factory, Chinese Club Discount Centre Limited, Bright Charter (Hong Kong) Limited formerly trading as Tung Lok Hin, Sharp Video Production Limited and Double Vision (Lighting Consultants) Limited - did not appear at today's hearing. In their absence, the Adjudicator ordered them to pay the MPFA the sums of $43,321.95, $43,260.2, $36,351.82, $32,795.75, $29,563, $8,124.94 and $200, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable. The Adjudicator also ordered Sharp Video Production Limited to pay the MPFA the sum of $5,000 as financial penalty.
The amounts awarded will be reimbursed to the employees' MPF accounts as soon as they are received by the MPFA. The court further awarded payments of $120, $176, $230, $270, $140, $186, $180 and $96 as the costs in respect of the claims.
Pacific Long Distance Telephone Corporation Limited, Bright Charter (Hong Kong) Limited formerly trading as Tung Lok Hin and Compact Building Materials Company Limited pleaded guilty at Kwun Tong Magistracy earlier to four, eight and five counts respectively of failing to make MPF contributions on time and were fined $8,500, $17,000 and $16,000 respectively.
Ends/Monday, December 18, 2006
Issued at HKT 16:51
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