The crucial meeting of Employees Provident Fund Organisation board began in New Delhi on Wednesday to decide whether to continue with the 9.5 per cent interest rate for its 3 crore (30 million) subscribers.
"We will form an opinion (at the meeting). The labour ministry will forward the opinion of the Central Board of Trustees on EPF rates to the finance ministry which will issue a notification on the interest rate," Labour Minister Sis Ram Ola said, presiding over the meeting.
Ola said a core committee, headed by the labour secretary, would be set up to implement the United Progressive Alliance government's Common Minimum Programme on labour issues.
On the National Social Security card, he said 810,000 cards have already been issued.