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The following is issued on behalf of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority:
An employer was fined a total of $173,000 at the Kwun Tong Magistracy today (April 12) after being convicted of offences under the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance (the Ordinance).
Good Faith Security Management Limited (BR no.: 21494705) was charged with an offence under section 7(1) of the Ordinance. The defendant pleaded guilty to four counts of failing to enrol four employees in an MPF scheme as required by the Ordinance and was fined $6,000 for each summons, totalling $24,000.
Good Faith Security Management Limited was also charged with an offence under section 7AA(7) of the Ordinance. The defendant pleaded guilty to 25 counts of failing to make MPF contributions to the MPFA for four employees who were not members of a registered scheme within the prescribed time for the contribution periods between March and September 2010. The defendant was fined $6,000 for each of 24 summonses and $5,000 for the remaining summons, totalling $149,000.
The Magistrate also ordered Good Faith Security Management Limited to pay the MPFA the sum of $19,607.2, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable for its four employees, within 21 days. The amounts awarded will be reimbursed to the employees' MPF accounts as soon as they are received by the MPFA.
Separately, the MPFA today obtained an order for payment of outstanding MPF contributions of $456,362.74 against an employer at the District Court.
The employer, Fong Kwai Hing trading as Heung Kwong Motor's Battery Electric & Air-conditioning, was ordered to pay the MPFA the sum of $456,362.74, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable to four employees of the defendant.
Meanwhile, the MPFA successfully pursued a claim in the Small Claims Tribunal for $46,418.79 for two employees who were owed MPF contributions by their employer.
At the Tribunal's hearing today, the defendant, Hung Suk Yi Priscilla trading as Home Work Interior, did not appear. In its absence, the Adjudicator ordered it to pay the MPFA the sum of $46,418.79, being mandatory contributions in arrears and surcharges payable.
At another hearing, the Adjudicator ordered another defendant, Painting International Management Limited, to pay the MPFA a financial penalty of $5,000, which was imposed by the MPFA for failing to make MPF contributions for its employees.
The amounts awarded at both 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 defendant to pay the cost of $930 and the Tribunal ordered the defendants to pay $219 and $162 respectively as the costs of the claims.
Ends/Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Issued at HKT 19:06
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