Hong Kong authorities have identified another suspected case of an employer dismissing local workers and importing staff, after earlier this month sanctioning a firm that violated labour rules.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said on Saturday that findings would be announced as soon as an investigation into the case had been completed.

“Our initial review shows significant evidence that the employer hired non-local labour but fired a local worker,” he said in a televised interview.

“If the case is confirmed, the government will implement administrative sanctions with zero tolerance.”

Sanctions include the immediate suspension of the employer’s imported labour applications and a one-year ban on applying to the scheme.

In early August, the Labour Department banned a pest control and cleaning company, Amala Limited, from importing workers for a year for violating local recruitment rules.