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The following is issued on behalf of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority:
An employer was fined $135,000 at the Kwun Tong Magistracy today (April 1), after being convicted of an offence under the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance.
Sing Pao Newspaper Management Limited was charged under section 7A(8) of the ordinance. The defendant pleaded guilty to 24 counts of failing to make MPF contributions for two employees within the prescribed time for the contribution periods between October, 2006, and January, 2007, April and November, 2007. The defendant was fined $20,000 for the first summons and $5,000 each for the remaining summonses, totalling $135,000.
The MPFA today obtained orders in the District Court against two employers for payment of outstanding MPF contributions at about $240,000.
The District Court issued judgments against United Concept Company Limited and Uni-Pac Retail Packaging Limited. The defendants were ordered to pay the MPFA $191,756.46 and $57,987.58, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable to three and nine employees of the defendants respectively.
The MPFA also pursued four claims in the Small Claims Tribunal for about $80,000 on behalf of 13 employees, who were owed MPF contributions by their employers.
The four defendants, Waheungai Company Limited, Expeditor Limited trading as Everlasting Photo Finish Company, Ho Kwok Wah trading as Color Work Shop and Lee Tak Fuk Trading Co Ltd, did not appear at today¡¯s hearing. In their absence, the Adjudicator ordered them to pay the MPFA $46,269.01, $32,615.74, $605 and $564.50, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable.
The Adjudicator ordered Best Lines Limited to pay the MPFA $15,000 being a financial penalty imposed by the MPFA for failure to make MPF contributions for employees.
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 defendants each to pay costs of $930 and the tribunal further ordered the respective defendants to pay costs of $160, $196, $140, $156 and $96.
Ends/Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Issued at HKT 17:43
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