By William Isau
SIBU, Jan 9: About 57,000 housewives registered under e-Kasih in the State stand to benefit from the Employee Provident Fund’s (EPF) i-Suri scheme.
State EPF regional manager, Halim Boweng said today that the State government had agreed to contribute RM4 million annually for the cause.
“We are very grateful for the Sarawak government. We work very closely with them. We went to see the Premier the other day and the State government gave us a grant of RM4 million to finance i-Suri for those in e-Kasih,” said Halim after attending the opening of the newly renovated EPF Sibu office here today.
EPF chairman Tan Sri Ahmad Badri Mohd Zahir was present to grace the ceremony.
According to Halim, i-Suri members will only need to contribute RM50 each per year while the rest of the RM480 will come from the RM4 million State government contribution.
“Rather than giving them cash, it is better for their contribution (to i-Suri) as it is a form of saving for them,” he emphasised.
The State EPF, he said, will be launching its outreach programme in March to get informal workers such as farmers, fisherfolk and e-hailing drivers to contribute to the fund as their saving for retirement.
The programme using mobile trucks will start off in Bintulu before proceeding to Kuching and Sibu.
“We do have a target but if we can reach out to 90 per cent of the working population above 18-years-old, it will be much better,” Halim said.
“This outreach programme using mobile trucks is our way forward to go to places which we have never been to before. We want to give coverage extension as previously EPF focused only on those in the formal sector. Now we want to widen our scope to the informal sector like farmers, fishermen and Grab drivers who are self-employed,” he added.
The programme aims to encourage the self-employed to save for their retirement. It includes inculcating the saving habit among children aged 14-years-old and above so by the time they enter the job market, the habit will not be new to them.
“Through this outreach programme we want to uphold EPF as the most trusted organisation,” said Halim.
Also present at the function was EPF Sibu manager, Obed George Gomes. — DayakDaily
