Universal Pension yields 11.61% profit for contributors; govt expanding scheme coverage

The government has announced an 11.61 percent profit for contributors to the Universal Pension Scheme for the fiscal year 2024-25.

The decision came at the third board meeting of the National Pension Authority (NPA) held today at the Secretariat, chaired by Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed.

According to an NPA statement, a total of 3,73,987 contributors had deposited Tk 187.97 crore, including the opening balance, as of June 30, 2025. The total profit generated during FY 2024-25 amounted to Tk 16.33 crore.

The board approved the distribution of profit among contributors based on their investment period, and subscribers will be able to check their earned profit using their pension ID and password.

In another decision, the board approved an increase in the maximum monthly contribution under the Surakkha Scheme for self-employed individuals from Tk 5,000 to Tk 15,000, aligning it with the Pragati Scheme.

To include more categories of workers, the board also decided to allow outsourcing service workers -- hired under the Outsourcing Services Policy 2025 -- to join the Pragati Scheme. For them, the minimum monthly contribution has been set at Tk 500, while they may opt for higher thresholds based on capacity. The entire contribution will be borne by the workers themselves, with no institutional share.

The board further discussed introducing an Islamic version of the Universal Pension Scheme. It emphasised preparing a concept paper after reviewing best international practices and initiating steps to launch the Shariah-compliant version soon.

Besides, the feasibility study for introducing insurance coverage under the pension scheme is ongoing. The board advised the NPA to complete the actuarial analysis and concept paper urgently.