Principal employer to pay contributions in the first instance.

40. (1) The principal employer shall pay in respect of every employee, whether directly employed by him or by or through an immediate employer, both the employer’s contribution and the employee’s contribution.

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other enactment but subject to the provisions of this Act and the regulations, if any, made thereunder, the principal employer shall, 15 in the case of an employee directly employed by him (not being an exempted employee), be entitled to recover from the employee the employee’s contribution by reduction from his wages and not otherwise : Provided that no such deduction shall be made from any wages other than such as relate to the period or part of the period in respect of which the contribution is payable] or in excess of the sum representing the employee’s contribution for the period.

(3) Notwithstanding any contract to the contrary, neither the principal employer nor the immediate employer shall be entitled to deduct the employer’s contribution from any wages payable to an employee or otherwise to recover it from him.

(4) Any sum deducted by the principal employer from wages under this Act shall be deemed to have been entrusted to him by the employee for the purpose of paying the contribution in respect of which it was deducted.

(5) The principal employer shall bear the expenses of remitting the contributions to the Corporation.