EPFO issues detailed Action Plan for Field Offices with a view to improve performance in declaration of Contractors and Principal Employers in its unified portal

In continuation to what we reported earlier, an additional functionality has been added on the Unified Portal through which a contractor establishment can also declare its’ Principal Employer (“PE”). This is done with an aim for Ease of Compliance as well as to generate an intelligence input for Employee’s Provident Fund Organization (“EPFO”) Field Offices to reduce coverage gap.

Further, in order to improve the progress of registration of the contractors through their PEs and vice versa over the Unified Portal, it has been decided to collate all the information which are generally required to be provided in the Certificates of Registration and Licenses issued to the PEs and the Contractors under The Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 (‘Act”), which will further ensure improved compliance and extension of Social Security to the eligible workforce.

Given that the progress in respect of registration is inadequate, a detailed Action Plan has been advised to be adopted by the Zonal Offices whereby a list of registered Pes and their Contractors will be prepared basis the Certificates of Registration and Licenses issued, post which instructions will be issued to all such PEs and Contractors to make their declarations in the Unified Portal.

In this process if any unregistered contractor (with EPFO) is found active, the compliances with respect to the contract workers under such Contractor will be verified and the possibility of coverage will be explored after due permission from Central Analysis Intelligence Unit (“CAIU”).

If any Principal Employers or their contractors are found to be not registered under the Appropriate Regional Office, the appropriate Regional Office is required to follow up regarding the same.

Zonal and Reginal offices of the EPFO are directed to ensure registration and declaration of contractors on the employer portal within a week from 27th April, 2022. Further, Zonal offices are directed to monitor the progress made by Regional Offices and ensure undertaking the action-plan in a time bound manner to expedite the registration of the Principal Employer and their contractors on the EPF Unified portal for employers.

[Please note this circular is not yet uploaded in the official website of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization. We are reporting basis information from private sources]

For a detailed read, please refer to the attached Notification.

Source: Employee’s Provident Fund Organization