The government said on Wednesday that officials have approved applications for nearly 29,000 imported workers in the past year, after restrictions on overseas labour were lifted for 26 types of job.

The approval figure relates to the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme (ESLS) which began in September last year and is separate from similar programmes that allow the importation of workers for construction, transport and care home posts.

In a written reply to unionist lawmaker Chau Siu-chung, Labour Secretary Chris Sun said officials received applications to import more than 66,000 workers.

The 29,000 or so given approval amount to 44 percent of the total number of applications.

Waiters topped the list of workers coming in with 5,200 approvals, followed by 3,200 cooks and 2,900 junior cooks, Sun said.

Chau asked the government to suspend the scheme to protect local workers.

"[The Labour Department] has been closely monitoring the implementation of ESLS, and will review [the scheme] prior to the lapse of its two-year implementation period," Sun said in response.

The minister added that officials have received 62 complaints from the imported workers, mainly over issues involving wages and working hours.