Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation wins global award

• India has bagged International Social Security Association’s (ISSA) ‘Good Practice Award’ for Asia and Pacific for this year for five services provided by Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).

Highlights:

• India has been awarded the prestigious ‘Good Practice Award’ for Asia and the Pacific by the International Social Security Association (ISSA) for five key services provided by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). The award was presented at the Regional Social Security Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Recognized Initiatives by EPFO:

• The EPFO received accolades for five initiatives, securing ‘Certificates of Merit’ for the following:
  • Efficient communication channels.
  • Conduct of E-proceedings.
  • Outreach program, Nidhi Aapke Nikat.
  • Multilingual call centers.
  • Pension order delivery initiative, Prayaas.

Efficient Communication Channels:

• The EPFO’s adoption of a digital and non-digital communication strategy earned commendation for its effectiveness. The organization uses various platforms such as:
  • Webinars, SMS, and emails.
  • Social media.
  • Information Education Communication (IEC) videos.
  • Camps under the Nidhi Aapke Nikat initiative.
• These efforts aim to educate and engage stakeholders, ensuring timely and efficient communication.

E-Proceedings for Transparency:

• The E-proceedings initiative enables online judicial processes to determine dues from defaulting employers. This has resulted in:
  • Enhanced transparency.
  • Reduced average inquiry time.
  • Increased fairness in proceedings.

Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0:

• Through this outreach program, monthly stakeholder meetings are conducted on the 27th of every month. Key highlights include:
  • On-the-spot grievance resolution.
  • Promotion of government policies on ease of doing business and ease of living.

Multilingual Call Centers:

• The EPFO's call centers in 12 regional languages align with ISSA guidelines on service quality, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for diverse stakeholders.

Prayaas: Pension Order Delivery:

• The Prayaas initiative simplifies pension order delivery by handing over Pension Payment Orders (PPO) to retiring members of the Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995. This initiative has been widely appreciated for streamlining the process.

Prelims Takeaways

• International Social Security Association’s (ISSA)
• Information education communication (IEC)
• Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).