EPFO’s apex decision-making body Central Board of Trustee will take a call on interest rate on employees’ provident fund deposits for 2021-22 in its meeting next month.
- “The Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) CBT meeting will be held in Guwahati in March where proposal for interest rate for 2021-22 would be listed as it is end of the fiscal year,”
- Asked whether EPFO would maintain the 8.5 per cent interest rate for 2021-22 as decided for 2020-21, Yadav, who also heads the CBT, said the decision would be taken on the basis of income projection for the financial year.
- The 8.5 per cent interest rate on EPF deposits for 2020-21 was decided by the Central Board of Trustees (CBT) in March 2021.
- It was ratified by the finance ministry in October 2021 and thereafter, EPFO issued directions to field offices to credit the interest income at 8.5 per cent for 2020-21 into the subscribers’ account.
- Once CBT decides an interest rate on EPF deposits for a fiscal year, it is sent to Ministry of Finance for concurrence.
- EPFO provides the rate of interest only after it is ratified by the government through the finance ministry.
- In March 2020, EPFO had lowered interest rate on provident fund deposits to a seven-year low of 8.5 per cent for 2019-20, from 8.65 per cent provided for 2018-19.
- The EPF interest rate provided for 2019-20 was the lowest since 2012-13, when it was brought down to 8.5 per cent.
- EPFO had provided 8.65 per cent interest rate to its subscribers in 2016-17 and 8.55 per cent in 2017-18. The rate of interest was slightly higher at 8.8 per cent in 2015-16.
- It had given 8.75 per cent rate of interest in 2013-14 as well as in 2014-15, higher than 8.5 per cent for 2012-13. The rate of interest was 8.25 per cent on provident fund in 2011-12.