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Apr exports value down 13%

The value of Hong Kong's total exports decreased to $338.3 billion in April, down 13% on the same month last year, the Census & Statistics Department announced today.   The value of imports of goods decreased 11.9% to $374.9 billion for the same period.   A trade deficit of $36.6 billion, or 9.8% of the value of imports, was recorded in April.   Comparing the three-month period ending April with the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis, the value of exports rose 15.4%, while that of imports increased 10.7%.   The Government noted that the value of merchandise exports declined further from a year earlier in April. Exports to the Mainland, the US and the European Union all shrank and exports to other major Asian markets recorded decreases of varying degrees.   Looking ahead, it added that the weakness in the advanced economies will continue to weigh on Hong Kong's export performance, though the expected faster recovery of the Mainland economy should

1.1k wage subsidy complaints heard

The Government today said that as of March 9, the Employment Support Scheme (ESS) Secretariat had received 1,105 complaint cases, more than half of which involve unreasonable reduction in the number of employees or redundancy, or both.   Secretary for Labour & Welfare Dr Law Chi-kwong told legislators that the secretariat has completed investigations for 1,069 complaint cases and replied to the complainants.    Dr Law said the secretariat and the processing agent have been proactively and seriously following up reported cases.   Of the 1,069 cases which have been concluded with investigations, 608 employers are confirmed to have not complied with the terms and conditions of the ESS.   The secretariat will request those employers to return to the Government the unspent balance of wage subsidies or pay a penalty in respect of their failure to maintain the committed headcount of paid employees, or both.   Additionally, the secretariat has referred 274 cases concerning the Employment Ordinance or complaints on labour disputes relating to employment terms to the Labour Department for follow-up.   It also referred two cases to Customs, as well as one report or complaint case to the Immigration Department and the Inland Revenue Department.   The 23 complaint cases concerning Mandatory Provident Fund contributions made by employers have been referred to the MPF Authority.
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