EPFO board to meet on Nov 20; investment options likely to be discussed

The central board of trustees of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation, headed by the labour minister, will hold its 229th meeting on November 20 in New Delhi. The meeting, which was earlier scheduled for November 16, is happening nearly seven months after the last meeting held in March this year.

The finance, investment and audit committee of EPFO is expected to meet before the CBT meeting to take stock of the investments of EPFO till date and returns thereof.

Sources told ET that the agenda of the meeting, shared with the CBT members, shows only regular, administrative issues that will be put up before the board members for information or approvals.


However, unlike CBT meetings earlier, there is a possibility that EPFO lays certain key issues on the table on the day of the meeting itself. These include, among other things, expanding the investments options of the retirement fund body.

Under the existing notified investment pattern, the EPFO invests between 45-50% of its incremental deposits in government securities, 35-45% in debt instruments, between 5-15% in equities, up to 5% in short-term debt instruments and up to 5% in asset-backed, trust-structured and miscellaneous investments including the alternate investment funds (AIFs), real estate investment trusts (REITs) and units of infrastructure investment trusts (InvIT).

Nod of the CBT is required before EPFO makes such investments. The central board of trustees of EPFO or CBT is a tripartite body involving government, workers and employers’ representatives and the decision of CBT is binding on EPFO.