No more form-9 for employees, says EPFO

According to EPFO (Employees Provident Fund Organisation), employees will no longer need to file the Form-9, a declaration that is usually made at the time of joining a new company. An official close to the development highlighted that from October, the companies hiring employees will have to share the new joinee details with EPFO. The EPFO handles the pension fund scheme. The organization has digitized most of its processes and is working towards a electronic paper-free organisation. The current system already is populated with data-records such a employee name, gender, date of birth, date of joining, father's/spouse's name, Aadhar and banking details. These details could also fetch electronic challans (PF return), making the submission of Form-9 in physical form a redundant process. The official also shared that the digital exercise would boost e-governance for fully electronic settlement of claims, besides help companies uplift the ease of doing business thanks to reduced paper work. Most paper work would be made online, and the entire organization is targeting August 2018 as a deadline to go paperless.