EPF Miri to intensify plans to ensure employers pay up

MIRI: The Employees Provident Fund ( EPF) here will intensify its strategic planning next year to get employers to strictly abide by the EPF Act 1991.

Its branch manager, Nellie Unyang Ding, said they would not rest on their laurels even though many employers used the economic downturn as an excuse to delay payment of their workers’ contribution.

“This year we have a high rate of defaulters especially among those in the oil and gas industry, using the economic downturn as an excuse not to pay on time.

“Out of the 7,524 employers in Miri, 0.53 per cent or 225 defaulted on payment of their monthly contributions,” said Nellie when contacted yesterday.

She said employers should fully understand that it was mandatory to abide strictly by the EPF Act 1991; to make payment on time, on or before the 15th of each month, with or without economic downturn.

Defaulters, if found guilty in court under Section 43 ( 2) of the EPF Act 1991, were liable to a jail term not exceeding three years

This year we have a high rate of defaulters especially among those in the oil and gas industry, using the economic downturn as an excuse not to pay on time. Out of the 7,524 employers in Miri, 0.53 per cent or 225 defaulted on payment of their monthly contributions. Nellie Unyang Ding, EPF Miri branch manager

or a fine not exceeding RM10,000 or both.

So far this year, she said, seven employers in Miri had been taken to court for failing to remit EPF contributions for their employees for three consecutive months.

“We need to protect the employees and we thus urge employers to cooperate with us; otherwise legal actions will be taken against them,” she warned.

As for the strategic planning to recover payment on time, she said among them were to encourage online payment, strategic mapping of city, conduct routine door-to- door inspection besides enhancing educational and awareness programmes for employees like conducting workshops on a quarterly basis, so that they could understand EPF procedures better.

Nellie added that another strategy was giving awards to those having clean record, like they did on Dec16 giving awards to two best Employers of the Year 2016.

“The two employers – Dayang Enterprise Sdn Bhd and Boulevard IT Sdn Bhd were selected based on their excellent payment track record every month.

“Theypayaccordingly–adhering to The Third Schedule, online payment, no complaints against the employer and no outstanding items at all,” said Nellie.

On hand to receive the award were Joe Ling, Dayang’s deputy managing director and Cherine Tiong and Tom Lim from Boulevard IT.

EPF Miri handles 7,524 employer accounts every month involving 120,000 employees with EPF monthly contributions totalling some RM20 million.