In order to avoid overdue fines, the Social Security Fund (FSS) reminds employers hiring non-resident workers to pay their employment fee for the first quarter of this year within April.

According to the “Law for the employment of non-resident workers” which came into force on 26 April last year, employers are required to pay quarterly to the FSS the employment fee for each non-resident worker actually hired in the previous quarter within the months of January, April, July and October. The amount of employment fee for each non-resident worker is 200 patacas monthly and is paid by the employer entirely. Employers engaged in processing and manufacturing activities referred to in Article 1 of Decree-Law No. 11/99/M can benefit from a 50% reduction in the employment fee, i.e. 100 patacas for each non-resident worker per month. On the other hand, employers hiring non-resident domestic helpers are exempted from payment of employment fees.

The FSS reminds employers that late payment of employment fee is a breach of law, which is subject to fines from 300 to 1,000 patacas for each worker involved. The fines will be levied coercively, through the Coercive Collection Bureau under the Financial Services Bureau and may also constitute a ground for revocation of employment permit.

The FSS calls on the employers who have already received the payment advice of the employment fee for non-resident workers to take the duly completed advice to the FSS Building and make the payments in cash, cheques or cashier orders as soon as possible. If the employers do not receive the payment advice by mid-April, please come to the FSS Building as quickly as possible for the re-issuance of the payment advice and settle the relevant payments in order to avoid overdue fines from late payments. If employers need more information about the employment fee for non-resident workers, please visit the FSS website at www.fss.gov.mo or call 2853 2850 during office hours.