Secretary for Labour & Welfare Dr Law Chi-kwong said the legislative amendment to abolish the Mandatory Provident Fund Scheme offsetting arrangement is complicated.

Speaking to the media after attending a radio programme today, Dr Law said the Government will try its best to complete the drafting of the legislative amendment.

“This is a complicated amendment, we should allow the Legislative Council sufficient time to go over the bill and to deal with some of those controversial parts of the bill.”

He said if the Government cannot table the bill to LegCo by the end of 2019, the bill will unlikely be passed before its current term.

On the proposal to extend statutory maternity leave, Dr Law said he welcomes all employers to follow the Government’s practice in extending maternity leave from 10 weeks to 14 weeks.

“If they can afford, I would actually ask them if they can do more and the more the better.

“We will encourage all employers in Hong Kong to consider before the implementation of the amendment of the legislation on maternity leave if they can do a step very much like what the Hong Kong Government is doing right now.”