KUALA LUMPUR: Technology continues to be the cornerstone of the Employees Provident Fund’s operational performance, with the fund reporting on Friday a remarkable increase in the total usage of its electronic channels in the first quarter (Q1 2016) operations results. 

EPF Kiosks, myEPF website and i-Akaun continue to be the preferred choice for members to interact with the EPF, it said in a statement. 

“During the quarter under review, the usage of EPF Kiosks increased 26.20% to 3.63 million compared with 2.88 million in the corresponding period in 2015.

“Total usage of i-Akaun also recorded a sharp increase of 61.25% to 4.70 million compared with 2.91 million in 2015, indicating a high level of acceptance among members towards EPF’s e-services as they provide efficiency and convenience,” it said.

The total new registration of i-Akaun year-to-date was 367,558 for members and 41,914 for employers, adding to the cumulative total of 2.5 million members and employers registered for i-Akaun as at end-March 2016.

EPF chief executive officer Datuk Shahril Ridza Ridzuan said leveraging on technological innovation was vital for the EPF as it continues to elevate its service delivery. 

“We need to actively reduce reliance on counter-based and manual transactions and encourage usage of our e-services as they are more efficient and cost-effective,” he said.

Shahril Ridza said the i-Akaun had been successful in this context as not only did it allow members to check their statements and update their profile, it also enabled them to submit withdrawal applications for housing or education via e-Pengeluaran and to verify their status and entitlement.

“The i-Akaun is also a gateway for e-Caruman, which allows employers to submit employees contribution details and make payments online,” he added.

EPF said the total number of applications approved sent via e-Pengeluaran, from the first roll-out in 2013 until March 2016, was 11,429.

Meanwhile, e-Caruman usage among employers registered with the EPF reached 484,898, covering 90% of EPF active members. - Bernama