Retirement fund physique EPFO has fastened the Staff Provident Fund (EPF) deposit rate of interest at 8.25% for 2025-26, preserving the rate of interest unchanged for the second consecutive 12 months.
The Central Board of Administrators (CBT) assembly of the Staff Provident Fund Group (EPFO) held on Monday (March 2, 2026) beneficial the Union authorities to take care of the rate of interest on PF deposits at 8.25 per cent.
The assembly additionally permitted numerous reform measures for pension funds, together with a pilot challenge on computerized initiation of insurance coverage claims in inoperable accounts, an amnesty scheme for exempt institutions, approval of a brand new Worker Provident Fund (EPF), Worker Pension Plan (EPS) and Worker Deposit-Linked Insurance coverage (EDLI) consistent with the Social Safety Act, and a brand new simplified customary working process for EPF exemption.
In response to a authorities assertion, the CBT assembly, chaired by Labor Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, determined to maintain rates of interest on maintain for 2025-2026 after contemplating numerous elements, together with world uncertainty. “Regardless of world uncertainties, EPFO has maintained sturdy monetary self-discipline, making certain secure and aggressive returns with out burdening curiosity calculations. This choice reaffirms EPFO’s dedication to defending contributions and offering prudent, sustainable and engaging returns in comparison with different related funding autos, whereas benefiting billions of staff by enhancing their retirement safety,” the discharge added.
The one-time amnesty scheme is primarily aimed toward defending the pursuits of staff, bringing institutions and trusts into compliance inside an outlined six-month interval, whereas exempting institutions and trusts which have already supplied advantages equal to or better than the statutory scheme from damages, curiosity and penalties.
“We are going to enable retrospective reduction or exemptions topic to sure situations and be sure that all eligible staff obtain their statutory allowances,” the federal government added.
The CBT additionally permitted new simplified SOPs for EPF exemption to extend transparency and effectivity in auditing of exempt institutions. “The unified framework will promote ease of doing enterprise and encourage compliance habits by way of paperless working to make sure transparency, speedy processing of waivers/cancellations of exempt instances, and risk-based on-line audits,” the federal government mentioned.
The CBT additionally permitted the notification of recent social safety schemes below the Social Safety Code, and the newly permitted EPF, EPS and EDLI schemes will substitute the present schemes.
It was introduced on the assembly that the whole contribution of EPFO reached Rs 3,356,281 million, 2,86,894 new institutions had been coated and 12,289,244 new members had been registered. Audited annual accounts of EPFO for EPF Scheme 1952, EPS 1995 and EDLI Scheme 1976 for 2023-2024 had been additionally permitted by CBT. The board additionally permitted the revised estimates for EPFO and schemes for 2025-26 and the funds estimates for 2026-27.
