Goa employers urged to enrol eligible workers before October 31 deadline for EPFO amnesty scheme

Employers in Goa are being told to enrol eligible employees in the Provident Fund scheme before the October 31 deadline, as a one-time amnesty scheme approaches closure, offering a chance to rectify past omissions and access full social security benefits.

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation in Goa has told employers to enrol eligible workers under the provident fund system before the October 31 deadline, as the window for a one-time amnesty scheme nears closure. The campaign applies to organisations set up between April 1, 2009, and March 31, 2026, and the regional office has said there will be no extension beyond the cut-off date.

According to the EPFO, the scheme is meant to bring missed employees into the social security net, including those in private and government establishments who should have been covered earlier but were left out. Workers who believe they were eligible for EPF coverage but were never enrolled have also been urged to report the matter for verification and possible action by the regional office.

The amnesty is designed to reduce the cost of correction for employers. EPFO has said it will waive the employee’s share of provident fund contribution for the past period, provided that amount was not already deducted from wages. Employers must still pay their own contribution, interest, administrative charges and a nominal penal damage of Rs 100 per establishment.

Once enrolled, workers gain access to the full EPF package, including provident fund savings, pension benefits under the Employees’ Pension Scheme and insurance cover under the Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance scheme. The Goa government had already asked department heads, in a notification dated September 2, to make use of the facility and enrol all eligible staff as soon as possible.