finance 10 - The Latremie Post

You can now withdraw your entire PF balance anytime

**You can now withdraw your entire PF balance anytime**
*By Dwaipayan Roy | Oct 13, 2025, 07:55 pm*

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has taken a significant step to enhance the ease of living for its members. In a major decision, the EPFO’s Central Board of Trustees (CBT) has approved allowing members to withdraw up to 100% of their eligible Provident Fund (PF) balance. This withdrawal includes both the employee and employer contributions.

### Key Decision Announced at 238th CBT Meeting

The decision was made during the 238th meeting of the CBT held in New Delhi, chaired by Union Minister for Labour and Employment, Mansukh Mandaviya. This move is set to bring greater flexibility and convenience for EPFO members in managing their PF accounts.

### Major Changes in PF Withdrawal Rules

Previously, full withdrawal from the PF account was only permitted in cases of unemployment or retirement. Under the new liberalized rules, members can now access their entire eligible PF balance, subject to certain conditions and specific categories.

In addition to this, the CBT has simplified the existing partial withdrawal provisions. Earlier, there were 13 complex rules governing partial withdrawals, which have now been consolidated into a single, streamlined rule divided into three categories:

– Essential needs (such as illness, education, and marriage)
– Housing needs
– Special circumstances

### Increased Flexibility for Education and Marriage Withdrawals

The new rules also increase the limits on withdrawals for education and marriage expenses. Withdrawals for education purposes can now be made up to 10 times, while those for marriage can be done up to 5 times.

Moreover, the minimum service requirement to be eligible for all partial withdrawals has been uniformly reduced to just 12 months. This is a significant relaxation compared to the previous norms, where members had to justify their withdrawal reasons under “Special Circumstances,” often resulting in claim rejections.

### Member Benefits: Minimum Balance and Auto-Settlement of Claims

To ensure members continue to benefit from the high interest rates offered by EPFO (currently 8.25% per annum), the CBT has introduced a new rule requiring a ‘Minimum Balance’ of 25% of contributions to be maintained in the PF account at all times. This provision helps preserve the compounding benefits and aids in building a substantial retirement corpus.

The board has also announced a move towards greater automation, eliminating the need for any documentation for partial withdrawal claims. This paves the way for 100% auto settlement of claims, making the process faster and hassle-free for members.

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This landmark decision by the EPFO is expected to bring greater financial flexibility to millions of PF members across India, enabling them to access their funds effortlessly when needed.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/business/epfo-members-can-now-withdraw-entire-balance/story

Warning: The AI traps even smart CEOs fall into

ILLUSTRATION BY KIKO BUENAVENTURA

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the loudest drumbeat in business today. Board decks brim with pilots, vendors promise miracles, and investors ask, “What’s your AI strategy?”

Yet, in my work with owner-operators and Fortune-level leaders, I’ve seen a hard truth: the biggest AI losses aren’t technical—they’re leadership errors.

AI can multiply value, but only when guided by strong, informed leadership.

https://business.inquirer.net/552306/warning-the-ai-traps-even-smart-ceos-fall-into

「金の出所」も苦悩

“`markdown
# デスク日記「金の出所」も苦悩
2025/10/13 6:00
[有料会員限定記事]
記者一覧：座親伸吾

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偽電話詐欺に気付かず、高齢者が自宅に来た人に現金を渡し、だまし取られる――そんな記事をよく見かけます。その中で、特に気にかけている点があります。

（この記事は有料会員限定です。残り326文字）

—

### 西日本新聞meとは？
フォロー機能やクリップ機能は有料会員の方のみお使いいただけます。

—

7日間無料トライアル後は、1日37円で読み放題。年払いならもっとお得です。

—

※記事の続きは有料会員限定となります。
“`
https://www.nishinippon.co.jp/item/1410628/

Why India’s largest oil producer has lower mcap than Zomato

**Why India’s Largest Oil Producer Has a Lower Market Cap Than Zomato**
*By Dwaipayan Roy | Oct 12, 2025, 06:21 PM*

India’s biggest oil and gas producer, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), is currently perceived as undervalued by the market. Despite boasting a market capitalization of around ₹3.1 lakh crore, ONGC trails behind companies like food delivery giant Zomato in terms of market value.

### Understanding the Market Discrepancy

One of the main reasons for this disparity is that over one-third of ONGC’s market capitalization comes from its stakes in subsidiaries and minority investments, which the market has not fully factored in.

### Market Cap Growth Comparison

Looking back over the last 13 years, ONGC’s market capitalization has grown by only about 26%. This growth is modest compared to other major Indian companies. For example:

– **Reliance Industries**: Its valuation surged from ₹2.43 lakh crore in July 2012 to ₹18.7 lakh crore today.
– **Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)**: Grew from ₹2.42 lakh crore in 2012 to ₹10.95 lakh crore now.

### ONGC’s Diverse Portfolio

ONGC holds significant stakes in various subsidiaries and minority investments, including:

– **Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL)**: 71.63% stake valued at over ₹18,000 crore.
– **Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL)**: 54.9% stake worth approximately ₹52,770 crore.

Alongside these, ONGC also has minority stakes in:

– **Indian Oil Corporation**: 14.20% stake valued at around ₹31,000 crore.
– **GAIL (India) Ltd**: 5% stake worth about ₹5,900 crore.

The total value of ONGC’s stakes in subsidiaries and minority investments exceeds ₹1.07 lakh crore, which is more than a third of its current market capitalization.

### The Minister’s Take on PSU Valuations

Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri recently expressed concern about the undervaluation of state-owned oil public sector undertakings (PSUs). He highlighted a “perception bias” among investors that undervalues these profitable and economically significant entities.

The Minister underscored the robust performance of oil marketing companies, noting that Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum together generated a combined profit of ₹2.5 lakh crore over the past six years.

### Conclusion

While ONGC remains India’s largest oil and gas producer with a strong asset base and profitable subsidiaries, the market continues to undervalue its true worth. This disparity underscores investor perception challenges faced by public sector enterprises compared to fast-growing private sector companies like Zomato.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/business/ongc-s-market-cap-growth-lags-behind-peers/story

The art of crypto

Crypto was once like an unruly teenager: misunderstood, uninvited, and not allowed near the family savings. But Pakistani authorities have now decided that they cannot beat the blockchain; they might as well try to regulate it. Hence the Virtual Assets Ordinance and the proposed Virtual Assets Bill.

Pakistan has pivoted hard, mirroring what’s happening globally, especially in the EU, where the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) is now standard.

### The Early Wild West of Crypto

In the unregulated days of crypto, ICOs were the gold rush. Entrepreneurs waved shiny white papers in the air like some magic spell, promising financial freedom and decentralisation. What they delivered was often closer to a group text scam. The lack of regulation meant that scammers could moonwalk around securities laws with nothing but a white paper and a dream.

That’s why some countries began taking things more seriously. MiCA was the EU’s answer to crypto: sure, decentralise all you want, but please fill out these forms.

### Pakistan Joins the Regulatory Renaissance

Pakistan is now joining this regulatory renaissance—but with some local flair. The 2025 Ordinance gave birth to the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA), tasked with keeping the crypto circus from catching fire. Think of PVARA as the chaperone at the school dance, making sure nobody spikes the punch (or launders money).

Regulators are taking a hard look at what tokens actually are, as opposed to what they say they are and what they do. MiCA has its categories—asset-referenced tokens, e-money tokens, utility tokens, security-ish ones. Pakistan is leaning into the same “don’t trust the brochure” approach.

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the Securities and Exchange Commission have now joined the Pakistan Crypto Council, a group essentially hashing out token taxonomies.

### From Ban to Embrace

Remember when Pakistan banned crypto in 2018? The SBP has hinted that the advisory may soon be shredded. They are now toying with the idea of linking crypto to foreign exchange laws. Your Bitcoin might one day officially be worth something in Pakistan.

### Remaining Challenges

There are still issues. For instance, white papers—the crypto version of the “trust me, bro” sales pitch—remain unregulated in Pakistan. MiCA requires that if you’re going to promise the moon, your white paper better explain how you plan to build the rocket. Unfortunately, Pakistan has yet to impose such regulations.

Investor protection? Maybe next.

On the bright side, anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) controls are front and centre in the ordinance. This includes provisions from the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) 2010. PVARA gets to play financial watchdog, audit snoop, and compliance enforcer all at once.

That’s good, because nothing kills an empty fintech dream faster than a FATF blacklist.

### Opening Doors for International Players

International players are now being invited to get licenses and set up shop in Pakistan. However, the ordinance is temporary. So yes, there’s a framework—but no formal act of parliament yet.

### The Philosophical Dilemma of Regulation and Decentralisation

Then there’s the real philosophical dilemma: can a heavily centralised regulatory regime handle the wild world of decentralisation?

Pakistan seems to be opting for a state-led innovation model. This is like trying to dance to a remix of techno and the national anthem at the same time.

National Bitcoin reserves and allocating 2,000 megawatts to blockchain and AI infrastructure are bold moves. But they also risk turning crypto into a VIP club for banks and government projects—potentially leaving smaller, community-driven projects stuck in the parking lot arguing with the bouncer.

### What Pakistan Needs Going Forward

To avoid that fate, the law will need to be smart and nimble. Token types should be clearly defined, disclosure standards must be firm, and investor protections real. Sandbox programmes and tiered regulations could help level the playing field.

If Pakistan pulls this off—if it can balance oversight with openness and formality with flexibility—it could emerge not just as a participant in the global digital asset race, but as an actual contender.

If it clings too hard to control or fails to pass actual legislation, it risks becoming just another cautionary tale in the crypto museum of almost-but-not-quite.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/1350032-the-art-of-crypto