XN000022-1992-01-23 — Page 7

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 1992

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"AN EMPLOYMENT AGENCY MUST DISPLAY ITS LICENCE IN A PROMINENT POSITION AT THE PLACE OF BUSINESS, HE SAID, ADDING THAT UNLICENSED OPERATION OF AN EMPLOYMENT AGENCY IS AN OFFENCE CARRYING A MAXIMUM FINE OF $20,000.

HE ALSO STRESSED THAT AN APPLICATION UNDER THE CURRENT IMPORTATION OF LABOUR SCHEME MUST BE MADE BY EMPLOYERS PERSONALLY.

"AN EMPLOYER MUST FIRST REGISTER HIS JOB VACANCIES WITH LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S LOCAL EMPLOYMENT SERVICE (LES) BEFORE APPLYING THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT TO BRING IN FOREIGN WORKERS, HE SAID.

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HE SAID SHOULD AN EMPLOYER FAIL TO MEET THIS REQUIREMENT, HIS APPLICATION WOULD NOT BE VETTED BY THE EMPLOYMENT VISA CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE FOR THE SCHEME.

MR CHAN ALSO POINTED OUT THAT QUOTAS TO IMPORT LABOUR WOULD BE ALLOCATED TO THE EMPLOYER CONCERNED AND WERE IN NO CASE TRANSFERRABLE.

"HENCE, THERE IS NO QUESTION OF ANY COMPANY APPLYING FOR SUCH QUOTAS ON BEHALF OF AN EMPLOYER, OR OF TRANSFERRING QUOTAS ALLOCATED FROM ONE COMPANY TO ANOTHER," HE ADDED,

MR CHAN ALSO REMINDED EMPLOYERS INTENDING TO IMPORT WORKERS THAT WHEN REGISTERING JOB VACANCIES WITH THE LES, THE MONTHLY WAGES OFFERED MUST BE AT LEAST EQUIVALENT TO THE MONTHLY WAGES PUBLISHED IN THE LIST OF PRINCIPAL JOB TITLES PLUS $400.

JOB VACANCIES TO BE REGISTERED SHOULD KEEP TO THE LIST OF PRINCIPAL JOB TITLES AS FAR AS POSSIBLE ALTHOUGH IMPORTATION OF WORKERS IN JOB CATEGORIES NOT SPECIFICALLY SHOWN ON THE LIST MAY BE APPLIED.

MR CHAN ALSO ASKED EMPLOYERS NOT то OVERSTATE THEIR REQUIREMENTS FOR IMPORTED WORKERS WHEN MAKING APPLICATION.

"AN EMPLOYER WILL BE REQUIRED, WHEN APPLYING FOR AN EMPLOYMENT VISA UNDER THE SCHEME, TO PAY A LUMP-SUM IN RESPECT OF EACH IMPORTED WORKER ON THE BASIS OF $400 PER MONTH MULTIPLIED BY THE NUMBER OF MONTHS COVERED IN THE CONTRACT, HE POINTED OUT,

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"FOR INSTANCE, IF THE CONTRACT FOR AN IMPORTED WORKER IS FOR TWO YEARS, THE LUMP-SUM PAYABLE WILL BE $9,600.

"THE LUMP-SUM PAYMENT, TO BE USED AS ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR ENHANCING RETRAINING PROGRAMMES FOR LOCAL WORKERS, WILL NOT BE REFUNDABLE, MR CHAN STRESSED.

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ENQUIRIES ON THE APPLICATION PROCEDURE FOR IMPORTING FOREIGN LABOUR AND ON EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES MAY BE MADE TO THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT ON TEL. 829 3220 OR 829 3225 AND TO THE EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES ADMINISTRATION OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT ON TEL 852 3535 RESPECTIVELY.

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