A Democratic Party legislator has proposed suspending the levy on employers of foreign domestic helpers until 2047, countering the government's opposition to Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee's attempt to scrap the levy permanently. Wong Sing-chi yesterday submitted a proposed amendment to the Employees Retraining Ordinance which would suspend the controversial monthly HK$400 levy until August 1, 2047. He said his party supported Mrs Ip's suggestion, and that his move was a backup in case her amendment was ruled out by Legco president Tsang Yok-sing. 'This will make things unchanged for 50 years,' Mr Wong said, exaggerating the time frame to emphasise his point. As a further backup, his fellow Democrat Lee Wing-tat yesterday proposed another amendment, which would suspend the levy until August 1, 2018. 'Even if the government doesn't accept suspending it for 50 years, they should at least do it for 10 years,' Mr Wong said. 'We want some practical help for the middle class.' Final discussions on the three amendments will be held at today's meeting of a Legco subcommittee. Dolores Balladares of the Asian Migrants Co-ordinating Body said: 'Hopefully legislators will stand by their position to scrap the levy.' Ms Balladares said she did not hold out any hope that the government would budge from its position that the levy was needed to fund the Employees Retraining Board, which retrains local workers. The government has suspended the levy and has proposed delaying it until July 31, 2010. A legislative procedure to approve retrospectively the two-year suspension is now undergoing 'negative vetting' - meaning it will become law unless an objection is received. Controversial levy The levy on employers of foreign domestic helpers was introduced in 2003 Up until its suspension in August, the total sum collected for the Employees Retraining Board was, in HK dollars,: $4.9b