Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman spoke about the lowering of interest on the Employees' Provident Fund from 8.5% to 8.1% for 2021-22. She said, "EPFO's central board has representatives from different stakeholders who have taken this call...It had been 40 years since the rate wasn't brought down." She added, "There are today's realities that keep us in context with the decisions."