MONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1980
PNEUMOCONIOSIS LEVY SCHEME STARTS NEXT MONTH
****
BUILDING CONTRACTORS AND QUARRY OPERATORS WERE. REMINDED TODAY THAT FROM NEXT MONTH A 0.2 PER CENT LEVY WILL BE IMPOSED ON THE VALUE OF THEIR CONSTRUCTION WORKS AND QUARRY PRODUCTS TO PROVIDE FUNDS TO COMPENSATE PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM PNEUMOCONIOSIS.
HOWEVER, CONSTRUCTION WORKS VALUED AT $250 000 AND BELOW ARE EXEMPTED FROM THE LEVY.
THE LEVY WILL BE IMPOSED BY THE PNEUMOCONIOSIS COMPENSATION FUND BOARD ESTABLISHED UNDER THE PNEUMOCONIOSIS (COMPENSATION) ORDINANCE. APART FROM COLLECTING THE LEVY, THE BOARD IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING COMPENSATION TO PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM PNEUMOCONIOSIS,
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE BOARD SAID THE LEVY WOULD COME INTO EFFECT ON JANUARY 4, 1981, AND WILL APPLY TO CONSTRUCTION WORKS CONTRACTS ENTERED INTO, AND QUARRY PRODUCTS PRODUCED, ON OR AFTER THAT DATE.
UNDER THE PNEUMOCON IOSIS (COMPENSATION) ORDINANCE, CONTRACTORS AND AUTHORISED PERSONS AND QUARRY OPERATORS ARE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT DETAILS AND THE VALUE OF THE IR CONSTRUCTION WORKS AND QUARRY PRODUCTS RESPECTIVELY TO THE BOARD.
CONTRACTORS AND AUTHORISED PERSONS HAVE TO GIVE NOTICE. OF THEIR APPOINTMENTS AND ESTIMATED VALUE OF CONSTRUCTION WORKS AS WELL AS COMPLETION OF CONSTRUCTION WORKS AND THE VALUE. IN ADDITION, CONTRACTORS MUST ALSO NOTIFY THE BOARD ON RECEIPT OF INTERIM AND FINAL PAYMENTS.
QUARRY OPERATORS MUST NOTIFY THE BOARD OF THEIR QUARRY OPERATIONS, THE MONTHLY PRODUCTION VOLUME AND SALE VALUE OF QUARRY PRODUCTS AND CESSATION OF OPERATIONS.
THOSE WHO FAIL TO GIVE NOTICE OF THESE PARTICULARS ARE LIABLE TO FINES RANGING FROM $1 000 TO $2 000, IN SOME CASES A SURCHARGE NOT EXCEEDING TWICE THE AMOUNT OF LEVY ASSESSED MAY ALSO BE IMPOSED.
THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT THE BOARD HAS PREPARED A GUIDE TO THE ORDINANCE AND A STANDARD REPORTING FORM FOR CONTRACTORS AND AUTHORISED PERSONS AS WELL AS QUARRY OPERATORS TO SUBMIT THE REQUIRED PARTICULARS.
COPIES OF THE GUIDE AND FORM CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE BOARD BY WRITING TO KWUN TONG POST OFFICE, P.0. BOX 9424 OR THE PNEUMOCON IOS IS COMPENSATION UNIT OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT IN CANTON ROAD GOVERNMENT OFFICES, 9TH FLOOR, YAU MA TEI .
ENQUIRIES CAN BE MADE TO THE UNIT ON TELEPHONE 3-688353 OR 3-687346 OR BY MAIL TO THE POST OFFICE BOX.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE AMOUNT OF LEVY FOR QUARRY INDUSTRY WOULD BE ASSESSED BY THE BOARD EVERY SIX MONTHS. FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, ASSESSMENT IS MADE ON RECEIPT OF NOTICE OF PAYMENT OR NOTICE OF COMPLETION OF CONSTRUCTION WORKS SUBMITTED BY THE CONTRACTORS,
/AFTER ASSESSMENT