SCF is a file containing the details of the contributions of Subscriber (Own and Co-Contribution if any) towards the pension fund. NL-OO/NL-AO shall prepare the NL-AO/NL-CC wise Subscriber’s contribution file to be uploaded to the NPS-Lite.
The NL-CC shall forward the contribution details of the Subscribers to the NL-AO. The NL-OO/NL-AO shall consolidate the data and prepare a Subscriber contribution file using File Preparation Utility (FPU) provided by CRA. NL-OO/NL-AO may also use any equivalent software for preparation of SCF. However, the file so prepared should be as per file formats of CRA.
Alternatively, the respective NL-OO/NL-AO can create the SCF using the FPU. After consolidating the files through FVU, NL-OO/NL-AO shall open the file in FPU for creation of final SCF to be run through FVU.
It is not mandatory for a NL-OO/NL-AO to upload a consolidated SCF. NL-OO/NL-AO can carry out multiple uploads of SCF as and when the data is received from the respective NL-CCs.
File Preparation Utility (FPU) is a stand-alone utility provided by CRA to enable NL-OO/NL-AO to prepare the Subscribers' contribution file as per the file formats of CRA. It will contain details such as NL-OO/NL-AO Registration number, NL-AO/NL-CC Registration number, Subscriber PRAN, amount of Subscriber contribution, Co-contribution (if any), Pay month, Pay year, Remarks etc. In case of any incorrect data inserted, FPU provides error and prompt to enable the NL-AO to rectify the same. FPU has excel type features such as copy, paste, insert/delete rows etc.
FPU is a software package which can be installed on a PC and will enable the NL-AO/NL-OO to create the contribution file. The NL-AO/NL-OO need not prepare the complete file every time. For subsequent updates, the intermediate file may be used after modification in relevant fields. FPU will also provide facility to open such files and edit at a later time for preparing final file.
File validation utility (FVU) is provided by CRA to validate the contribution file prepared using FPU or uploading the Aggregator’s own software, against a set of validation rules. On successful validation, an output file with extension .fvu along with a control total html file will be generated, which can be uploaded in the NPS-Lite/CRA system. If any of the validations fail, then the file will be rejected and an error file will be generated specifying the details e.g. Format of NL-AO/NL-OO id is invalid.
NL-AO can download the FPU, FVU and the file formats from CRA website or can also get them from the CRA.
The utilities can be executed on any of the following windows platform:
Win 95/Win 98/Win 2K Professional/Win 2K Server/Win NT 4.0 Server/Win XP Professional. Further, Java (JRE 1.5 version or any higher version) has to be installed to run FPU and FVU. The above said software can be freely downloaded from http://java.com
If the format level validation is successful at FVU, then an output file with extension .fvu along with a control total html file will be generated in the specified path. The .fvu file will contain the contribution details, FVU version and FVU generated hash value (digital lock to prevent the file being tampered) which has to be uploaded to NPS-Lite. This control total file in html form would be for record purpose of the NL-AO.
If the SCF validation is not successful, FVU will generate an error report containing details of the errors. The NL-AO shall rectify the errors in the original file and again pass it through the FVU until all records are rectified and SCF is successfully validated through FVU.
If any of the validations fail in FVU, FVU will generate an error file in the specified folder indicating the details of the errors such as contribution month is a future month etc.
FVU will validate whether the file is as per the format specified by CRA. Some of the errors which FVU may show are - Sum total of Subscriber contribution and Government contribution are not matching, contribution year is a future year etc.
NL-OO/NL-AO can use its own software for preparation of the file. However, the file should confirm to the file formats of CRA. The output file should be with ".txt" as filename extension. However, it is mandatory for the NL-AO to validate the output file through FVU, irrespective of whether it has been created through FPU or own back office. Unless the file is successfully validated by FVU, it cannot be uploaded to the NPS-Lite system. Therefore, in nutshell, the usage of FVU is mandatory, but usage of FPU is optional.
NL-AO shall login to NPS-Lite and upload the SCF, which is successfully validated by FVU. On acceptance of the file, a transaction id will be generated along with a Contribution Submission Form (CSF), which will contain the details of the SCF. NL-AO will print the CSF and submit it to the Trustee Bank along with transfer of funds.
FVU is a standalone utility and checks only the format level validations. However, database level validations such as whether NL-AO, NL-CC, Subscriber id is valid etc. will be carried out at CRA system. Hence, in such cases file which is successfully validated by FVU can get rejected at CRA.
There will be "view" facility provided to the Aggregators to check the status of the contribution file. User can enquire about the status of a particular file by entering the upload period (from and to date) or batch id /file reference number or Transaction id. NL-AO can also check whether the SCF has been matched and booked.
NL-AO can correct the details of the file already uploaded in the NPS-Lite system by preparing and uploading a correction file along with the transaction id of the original file. The NL-AO will have to upload the entire file with the corrected records. NL-AO can upload the correction file only till T+1 where T is the day of file upload. This ‘correction’ file will replace the existing file in NPS Lite and the status of the Original file will be changed to “Cancelled”. If the Aggregator realizes the error in file after T+1 and if the funds are not transferred to Trustee Bank, the file can be cancelled by informing the same to CRA. In this case, the funds need not be transferred to Trustee Bank for the incorrect file. The Aggregator can upload fresh file on cancellation of original file.
The contribution arising out of arrears can be uploaded to CRA along with the regular contribution. At the time of preparing the SCF, NL-AO shall enter the contribution type as Arrears and mention the period of arrears in the Remarks column.
Error files will be generated at two levels:
If any of the validations fail in FVU, FVU will generate an error file in the specified folder indicating the details of the errors such as contribution month is a future month etc.
In case of validation failure in NPS-Lite, an error file will be generated indicating the details of the error such as Duplicate files having same batch id, invalid NL-AO-NL-CC mapping, invalid NL-AO id, invalid PRAN. In case of rejection by NPS-Lite, the error file will be available for download through the Contribution File Status View. On the basis of the File Reference Number generated at the time of uploading the contribution file, the NL-AO can check the status of the file.
For Centralized model, each NL-OO and in case of Decentralizes model NL-AO will be able to upload contribution files on all the working days in the working hours.
NL-AO shall transfer the funds to the Trustee Bank along with the Contribution Submission Form (CSF) generated by NPS-Lite. The funds can be transferred through electronic transfer such as RTGS/NEFT. The Trustee Bank shall confirm to CRA the receipt of funds transferred by the respective NL-OO/NL-AO against the respective transaction id.
NL-OO/NL-AO shall provide the following additional details in the RTGS/NEFT slip:
The above details are critical since unless the above data reaches the Trustee Bank along with the funds, it will not be in a position to identify the NL-AO and the SCF for which funds are received for transmitting the fund confirmation receipt to CRA.
