*******************************************
An employer was fined $10,200 at the Kwun Tong Magistracy today (January 26), after being convicted of an offence under the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance (Cap. 485) (the "Ordinance").
Best Tide Investment Limited trading as Game Zone which had committed the offences under section 7A(8) of the Ordinance, pleaded guilty to five counts of failing to make MPF contributions within the prescribed manner for the contribution periods between September, 2003, and January, 2004. The defendant was fined $5,000 for the first summons and $1,300 each for the other four summonses, totalling $10,200.
Meanwhile, The Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) in the District Court today obtained an order against an employer for payment of outstanding MPF contributions owed to employees at around $92,000. MPFA today also pursued 10 claims in the Small Claims Tribunal for some $210,000 on behalf of 16 employees, who were owed MPF contributions by 10 employers.
The District Court today issued a judgment against an employer. The defendant, Precision Technologies (Communication) Company Limited, was ordered to pay the MPFA $92,252.30, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable to three employees.
At the tribunal's hearing today, defendants Gladbond Pearls & Gems Limited, Precision Technologies (Communication) Company Limited, City Pipe Technologies (Hong Kong) Limited, Chan Chi Ming, Ho Kai and Siu King Chiu trading as Yeung Shing Restaurant, Lau Kai Chung trading as Andefit International and Well Union Maritime Limited, did not dispute the amounts claimed.
The Adjudicator ordered them to pay the MPFA the sums of $46,626.06, $45,049.64, $37,912.33, $27,367.98, $5,619.76 and 4,042.33 respectively, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable.
The other defendants, Xenon Limited, Tsoi Mau Hung and Fong Chun Hing trading as Wing Lun Construction Company, Saiton Engineering Limited and China Electronic Information Technology Limited, did not appear at today's hearing. In their absence, the Adjudicator ordered them to pay the MPFA the sums of $23,025,$16,980.96, $6,700 and $ 1,503.8 respectively, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable.
The amounts both awarded at the District Court and the Small Claims Tribunal will be reimbursed to the employees' MPF accounts as soon as they are received by the MPFA. The court further awarded payments of $930 for the District Court case, and $300, $200, $160, $160, $90, $190, $250, $110, $300 and $70 for the tribunal cases respectively as costs in respect of the claims.
Ends/Thursday, January 26, 2006
Issued at HKT 18:34
NNNN
