SIBU: The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) will launch three trucks in March to expand its outreach programme throughout the state.
Sarawak regional manager Halim Boweng said the EPF trucks will be launched in Bintulu first, followed by Kuching and Sibu.
The outreach programme is aimed at informal workers who are not a member of EPF.
“They include farmers, fishermen, and gib workers comprising e-hailing drivers. This is our way forward to going to places that we have never been to before.
“We want to widen our coverage as previously EPF focussed only on those in the formal sector.
“Now we want to widen our scope to the informal sectors like farmers, fishermen and grab drivers who are self-employed,” he said after attending the opening of the newly renovated EPF office here today (Jan 9).
The opening ceremony was performed by EPF chairman Tan Sri Ahmad Badri Mohd Zahir.
Halim said the aim of the outreach programme is to encourage the self-employed to save for their retirement.
“The programme includes inculcating the saving habit among children aged 14 years and above so when they enter the job market, it (saving) will not be new to them.
“From this outreach programme we want to promote EPF as the most trusted organisation,” he said.
Sarawak EPF is looking at increasing the number of active members from 550,000 to 600,000.
“We have 950,000 members in Sarawak but only 550,000 are active, meaning they are still contributing to the fund.
“Those inactive ones are mostly civil servants who were once members but have opted for pension and they can still make a monthly contribution,” he said.
Halim said EPF is grateful to the state government for agreeing to contribute an annual grant of RM4 million to finance the i-Suri programme for the 57,000 registered under e-kasih.
Also present were EPF Sibu branch manager Obed George Gomes, dty Sibu Resident Christopher Ranggau Unting and Sibu police chief ACP Zulkipli Suhaili.
