Can company pay advance bonus to its employees? As under statutory act i.e. Payment of Gratuity Act

Can a company pay an advance bonus to its employees?

As per the statutory act, i.e., Payment of Gratuity Act, 1965, all amounts payable to an employee by way of a bonus shall be paid in cash within a period of eight months from the closing of the accounting year.

There is nothing wrong in paying interim bonus in advance, pending finalization of accounts, but the final amount is to be paid by 30th November of the year.