Interest rate on Provident Fund likely to remain unchanged at 8.5% in FY14

Moneylife Digital Team 24 June 2013

One of reason for proposing to keep the rate of interest unchanged for this fiscal is slight drop in government securities yield, according to government sources

Retirement fund body Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is likely to pay an interest rate of 8.5% on provident fund deposits for 2013-14 to its over five crore subscribers, the same as provided in 2012-13.

“The rate of interest on PF deposits is unlikely to be changed for the current fiscal at 8.5%,” a source privy to the development said.

EPFO paid 8.5% interest rate to its subscribers in 2012-13 which was higher than 8.25% provided in the 2011-12 fiscal.

The source further revealed that the EPFO office has already worked out the income projections and the feasible rate of return to be provided on PF deposit in the current fiscal.

As per the practice, the EPFO would have to place the proposal before its advisory body Finance and Investment Committee (FIC) after which it is considered by the apex decision making body Central Board of Trustees (CBT) headed by the labour minister for taking final call on the matter.

Once approved, the proposal is put before the finance ministry for its concurrence.

The EPFO has recently reconstituted the CBT and thus the FIC would be constituted again in the next meet of trustees.

According to the source, the CBT meeting is likely to be convened next month as the new Central Provident Fund Commissioner, KK Jalan, who is executive head of EPFO has taken charge.

The source said that one of reason for proposing to keep the rate of interest unchanged for this fiscal is slight drop in government securities yield.

As per the 2008-Investment Pattern adopted by the EPFO, the body can invest up to 55% of its huge corpus of over Rs5 lakh crore in the state and central securities.

Comments

User

D A Bhatt

1 decade ago

As per my perception and opinion the rate of return means interest rate of CPF,GPF, EPF,EPS and PPF should be same and exactly equal. And no difference at all.