Interest rates on small savings schemes fixed and not floating: Finance Ministry

04 Jan 2012 Evaluate

The interest rates on post office savings schemes, except the Public Provident Fund (PPF), will remain fixed throughout the term of the scheme. The finance ministry has clarified that though the rate of interest on small savings schemes will be linked every year with rates of government securities of similar maturity, with suitable spread, the rates are fixed and not floating so far as individual investments except PPF are concerned.

However, in case of PPF, which is a 15-year scheme; interest rates would not remain fixed for the entire period. The annual interest accumulation in the PPF account will depend upon the rate for that particular year.

The clarification comes in response to some news items that the interest rates on small saving schemes, revised by the government with effect from December 01, 2011, are floating rates, which will undergo change according to fluctuations in the yield on the government securities.

The finance ministry also clarified that the rate prevailing at the time of investments will remain fixed and unchanged till the maturity of the investment. Any revisions in interest rates in subsequent years will only be applicable to the investments made in the relevant period. For instance, investment made in an instrument other than PPF on December 01, 2011 will remain valid till the maturity of that instrument, irrespective of revision of interest rate with effect from April 01, 2012. Further for PPF, the interest rate fixed every year will be applicable to all PPF accounts.

Recently the government with effect from December 01, 2011, raised interest rates on PPF to 8.6% from 8% now, and also raised ceiling on annual contributions to the fund to Rs 1 lakh from Rs 70,000. Interest rates on savings account in post offices also raised to 4% from 3.5%. Similarly, interest rates on deposits of other maturities too were raised from December.

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