MPFA Chairman Mrs Ayesha Macpherson Lau published her blog post today (17 November), responding to recent media reports concerning the operation of the eMPF Platform (the eMPF). 

 

Mrs Lau said that as a one-stop platform handling the administration of all MPF schemes, the eMPF is a massive system, with very limited experience to draw upon for its implementation. It is therefore inevitable for it to encounter teething problems during the early stage of operation. The eMPF project team understands that users may face difficulties or issues when migrating from the original systems of their trustees to the eMPF and when using the platform. The eMPF project team is responsible for helping users adapt to the new system by providing timely assistance, education and promotion, enhancing communication, and so forth. While there have been isolated problems unrelated to the system operation per se, we will not tolerate any situation that may affect employees&rsquo rights in relation to their MPF benefits, she said. The MPFA, the eMPF Company and the eMPF project contractor, PCCW Solutions, are duty-bound to ensure the smooth operation of the eMPF.

 

Mrs Lau said that since its launch, the eMPF has provided various types of customer service, including service centres, hotlines and outreach teams, and has handled tens of thousands of inquiries and helped many users become familiar with the electronic functions of the platform. The eMPF project team has addressed each case requiring assistance and proactively communicated with the concerned users. Mrs Lau said that the project team has undertaken to expedite the turnaround time and is closely monitoring the system to promptly identify and rectify any anomalies. She promised that the eMPF project team would handle all tasks, including requests for assistance, inquiries and complaints, in a holistic and efficient manner to promptly and properly address users&rsquo needs.

 

Since the official launch of the eMPF on 26 June, five MPF schemes have successfully migrated their MPF account data to the eMPF. She noted that the overall operation of the eMPF had been smooth in the first five months. Over 100,000 downloads of the eMPF mobile application were recorded, with 76,000 users registered, including employers, self-employed persons and scheme members. The cumulative number of logins to the eMPF exceeded 160,000, indicating that more and more users are adapting to this new way of managing their MPF.



Among the transactions and administrative instructions handled by the eMPF, approximately 65% (i.e. over 60,000), including making contributions, withdrawing MPF, transferring MPF or changing investment instructions, were processed digitally, while the remaining 35% were paper-based. The paper option is for user flexibility, allowing them to handle MPF administrative tasks as in the past during the transitional period until they are proficient in using the electronic functions of the eMPF.

 



Mrs Lau said that she and her team are aware that some individual employers and scheme members have had difficulties using certain electronic functions of the eMPF, such as using facial recognition technology for account registration. The eMPF project team values the feedback of every user and strives to help them solve their problems. The team appeals for public understanding that a high-security setting is essential for safeguarding user privacy and that this is in line with the stringent requirements adopted by other financial institutions. She said the eMPF project team would follow up and improve the situation as required and encouraged users to use &ldquo iAM Smart&rdquo for verification during registration to enjoy a more convenient and time-saving experience. 

 

Mrs Lau rejected the allegation that some MPF contributions had &ldquo disappeared&rdquo after onboarding to the eMPF and said that this was attributed to some isolated cases in which employers or scheme members who were still unfamiliar with the electronic functions of the eMPF had entered incomplete or inaccurate data when making contributions, resulting in the received contributions not being displayed promptly on the user page of the platform. The eMPF project team is actively following up on each case and has implemented additional measures to address the situation. They are trying their best to help users become familiar with the platform. 

 

In response to requests for compensation in individual cases, the eMPF Company will process the requests and make compensation according to the established mechanism, provided it is determined that losses were incurred owing to the fault of the eMPF.  Mrs Lau stressed that migrating MPF account information from the trustees&rsquo systems to the eMPF is a very challenging task. This is why the MPF schemes have been arranged to join eMPF in turn and in ascending order by value of MPF assets managed by the trustees. This helps identify areas that require enhancement and correction at the early stage of operation and within a manageable scope, allowing the eMPF project team to continue to enhance the eMPF.

 

The eMPF project team has implemented various new measures to enhance its service, including setting up a dedicated eMPF inquiry hotline (3197 2834) to address the contribution-related queries of employers and employees. Hotline staff training will also be strengthened to enhance the quality of service.

 

Mrs Lau again called on employers and scheme members to make good use of the comprehensive support services provided by the eMPF, including the service hotline 183 2622, three service centres, located on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and the New Territories, and in particular, the Outreach Team service dedicated for employers. For details, please browse the eMPF website (www.empf.org.hk).

For the full version of the post, please visit the  MPFA blog.  The blog is in Chinese only.

 

－ Ends－
17 November 2024