Safe Deposit Regulatory Compliance Legal Issues 2014: Fill & Download for Free

Banking system is the backbone of any nation’s economy. For an economy to remain healthy and going, it is important that the banking system grows fast and yet be stable.This catches the biggest dilemma of policymakers. How to achieve both the objectives simultaneously?Over a period of time, several indicators have been developed which gauge the depth and stability of the banking system. Examples can be Non-performing assets, Capital adequacy ratio (CAR) etc.Similarly, mechanisms to ensure their stability have also been developed. Some of the examples can be CRR; SLR; Basel conventions; regular directions of the RBI; Financial Stability and Development Council etc.Some of these indicators and mechanisms have also been in news for quite some time – Basel III norms and Non-Performing assets (NPAs).Basel NormsBasel is a city in Switzerland which is also the headquarters of Bureau of International Settlement (BIS). BIS fosters co-operation among central banks with a common goal of financial stability and common standards of banking regulations. Currently there are 27 member nations in the committee.Basel guidelines refer to broad supervisory standards formulated by this group of central banks- called the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS). The set of agreement by the BCBS, which mainly focuses on risks to banks and the financial system are called Basel accord.The purpose of the accord is to ensure that financial institutions have enough capital on account to meet obligations and absorb unexpected losses. India has accepted Basel accords for the banking system.So, if the Basel norms are banking standards, then who has the authority to make them? Are they mandatory for every country?As said earlier, the Basel Committee makes these norms. The Committee’s decisions have no legal force. Rather, the Committee formulates supervisory standards and guidelines and recommends statements of best practice in the expectation that individual national authorities will implement them. In this way, the Committee encourages convergence towards common standards and monitors their implementation, but without attempting detailed harmonisation of member countries’ supervisory approaches.So, India can either accept them or reject them depending on the kind of financial system it wants. So far, we have implemented or wished to implement all Basel norms.Basel IIn 1988, BCBS introduced capital measurement system called Basel capital accord, also called as Basel 1. It focused almost entirely on credit risk. It defined capital and structure of risk weights for banks. Naturally if the capital with the banks is adequate to cover the risks ( e.g. a power plant) they have invested in, then the bank is safe.The minimum capital requirement was fixed at 8% of risk weighted assets (RWA). RWA means assets with different risk profiles. For example, an asset backed by collateral would carry lesser risks as compared to personal loans, which have no collateral. India adopted Basel 1 guidelines in 1999. The Basel norms are set up by the Basel committee on Banking supervision.It is important to understand that the Basel accords have been the result of cooperation by the countries over the years.But why cooperate between member countries when banks operate within national boundaries?It is because these banks lend not only to its country men but also other nations. Also, private investors and sovereign nations take loans from banks across other nations. Further, the financial system of the world is so interconnected that one incident of a banking collapse has its repercussions all over the world. There can be no better example that the 2008 Global recession.Therefore, global cooperation on banking matters is a absolute necessity in today’s world. And, not only cooperation but also adoption of some uniform standards is also important.Again, Why uniform standards?Bankers and investors invest over the world preferably in markets where they get best returns. The markets will give returns only when the economy is stable. And, economy will be stable only when the banking system is stable. Hence, it is important for investors and agencies to measure the stability of the banking system. If all the nations adopt different standards, then calculating stability figures will be a big headache for investors.Also, suppose some nations run banks on better standards i.e. better risk management, better returns, lower exposure to volatile markets etc., then they have a better chance of getting foreign investment.But, if all nations adopt uniform standards, then at least the investors can be attracted by only the strength of the economy.Hence, it is important to have uniform standards especially when it comes to the banking system which is so complex and vast.The Basel norms try to achieve exactly the same. Till date three different Basel accords ( or norms) have come – each with a better safeguard than the next one.Basel IIIn 2004, Basel II guidelines were published by BCBS, which were considered to be the refined and reformed versions of Basel I accord. The guidelines were based on three parameters.1. Banks should maintain a minimum capital adequacy requirement of 8% of risk assets,In India, such a practice is equivalent to maintaining a Capital Adequacy ratio (CAR).2. Banks were needed to develop and use better risk management techniques in monitoring and managing all the three types of risks that is credit and increased disclosure requirements.Increased disclosure requirements raise the confidence of investors and depositors in the bank. The more transparent a bank is, the more stable it is deemed to be.3. Banks need to mandatorily disclose their risk exposure, etc to the central bank.This is important so that the central bank (RBI in India) is aware of the risks that the banking system is going through.There is a practice in India to publish bi-annual Financial Stability reports by the RBI. The latest report published recently is of June 2014.Basel II norms in India and overseas are yet to be fully implemented.Basel IIIIn 2010, Basel III guidelines were released. These guidelines were introduced in response to the financial crisis of 2008. A need was felt to further strengthen the system as banks in the developed economies were under-capitalized, over-leveraged and had a greater reliance on short-term funding. Too much short-term funding makes the banks prone to risks. Banks generally rely on short-term funding because it is profitable.Also the quantity and quality of capital under Basel II were deemed insufficient to contain any further risk. This was because the banking system was growing. The world economy was growing too. Hence, what is sufficient earlier was not sufficient now.Basel III norms aim at making most banking activities such as their trading book activities more capital-intensive. The guidelines aim to promote a more resilient banking system by focusing on four vital banking parameters viz. capital, leverage, funding and liquidity.Again we need not go in technicalities, just the broad picture.This is how it was broadly done.CapitalThe capital requirement (as weighed for risky assets) for Banks was more than doubled. ( e.g. 4.5% from 2% in Basel-II accord for common equity)LeverageLeverage basically means buying assets with borrowed money to multiply the gain. The underlying belief is that the asset will return the investor more than the interest he has to pay on the loan.Obviously doing so is risky business. Thus the Basel III puts a limit on the banks for doing this. The numbers are not important here. Getting the concept is important.Funding and liquidityBanks can be subjected to a lot of risk if all depositors come and ask all their money at the same time. This is a hypothetical situation but it has happened in real with Lehman Brothers – the bank whose collapse gave us the 2008 recession.So, Basel III puts a requirement for the banks to maintain some liquid assets all the time. Liquid assets are those which can be easily converted to cash.In India, this practice can be correlated with that of maintaining CRR and SLR.Implementation of Basel III norms in IndiaThe RBI has postponed the implementation of these norms to 2019.It is important to note that it is not easy to implement these norms as it requires several changes in the present banking system. There are several challenges in the successful implementation of Basel III norms.1. Higher capital requirement for banks – The private banks have the autonomy to raise capital from the markets. But the Public sector banks have to rely on the government mostly. The government has recently decided to infuse 12000 Cr. rupees in the PSBs. In the coming years even more will be required.2. More technology deployment – Implementing the norms would require much more sophisticated technology and management styles that the Indian banks are presently using. Upgrading both will impose huge cost on the banks and hurt their profitability in the coming years.3.Liquidity crunch – Banks would need to invest more on liquid assets. These assets do not give handsome returns usually which would reduce the bank’s operating profit margin. Further higher deployment of more funds in liquid assets may crowd out good private sector investments and also affect economic growth.The way ahead for the banksTo address these issues and to protect their profitability margins, banks need to look beyond regulatory compliance and take proactive actions.In this regard the following strategies need to be adopted:1. Change in Business Mix – They will need to lend more to profitable yet safe sectors. For e.g. corporate loans. But even corporate loans in India have been under a lot of stress. Banks are facing increasing NPAs . Still they are safer and more profitable than retail loans. Priority Sector lending (PSL) however limits their options.2. Low-Cost Funding – One of the most important factors to meet the new regulations is to have a stable low-cost deposit base. For this, banks need to focus more on having business correspondents/facilitators to reach customers as adding branches will increase costs and have an impact on the profit margin.The RBI is thinking of introducing UID based mobile wallets to increase the reach of the financial system. Perhaps the banks can tie up with wallet operators based on some innovative business model. There are many opportunities.3. Improvement in systems and procedures – Refining the systems and procedures may help banks economise their risk-weighted assets, which will help reduce capital requirements to some extent. It is possible that they would impose cost in the short-run, but they would yield great returns in the future.ConclusionIt is clear that the banking system in the coming times will have to go through a lot of rough weather. Increasing operational complexities, global interconnectedness and high economic growth worldwide will present several challenges for the banks. While strategies like Basel III will of course address these challenges, what is even more important is their proper implementation. More than this, the banks will need to have a wider outlook. They must anticipate changes in the Indian economic system and react accordingly. Indian banking regulations are one of the most stringent and consequently one of the safest in the world. Let us evolve each time better and stronger.

What is a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC)?A Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) is a company registered under the Companies Act, 1956 engaged in the business of loans and advances, acquisition of shares/stocks/bonds/debentures/securities issued by Government or local authority or other marketable securities of a like nature, leasing, hire-purchase, insurance business, chit business but does not include any institution whose principal business is that of agriculture activity, industrial activity, purchase or sale of any goods (other than securities) or providing any services and sale/purchase/construction of immovable property. A non-banking institution which is a company and has principal business of receiving deposits under any scheme or arrangement in one lump sum or in installments by way of contributions or in any other manner, is also a non-banking financial company (Residuary non-banking company).2. What does conducting financial activity as “principal business” mean?Financial activity as principal business is when a company’s financial assets constitute more than 50 per cent of the total assets and income from financial assets constitute more than 50 per cent of the gross income. A company which fulfils both these criteria will be registered as NBFC by RBI. The term 'principal business' is not defined by the Reserve Bank of India Act. The Reserve Bank has defined it so as to ensure that only companies predominantly engaged in financial activity get registered with it and are regulated and supervised by it. Hence if there are companies engaged in agricultural operations, industrial activity, purchase and sale of goods, providing services or purchase, sale or construction of immovable property as their principal business and are doing some financial business in a small way, they will not be regulated by the Reserve Bank. Interestingly, this test is popularly known as 50-50 test and is applied to determine whether or not a company is into financial business.3. NBFCs are doing functions similar to banks. What is difference between banks & NBFCs?NBFCs lend and make investments and hence their activities are akin to that of banks; however there are a few differences as given below:i. NBFC cannot accept demand deposits;ii. NBFCs do not form part of the payment and settlement system and cannot issue cheques drawn on itself;iii. deposit insurance facility of Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation is not available to depositors of NBFCs, unlike in case of banks.4. Is it necessary that every NBFC should be registered with RBI?In terms of Section 45-IA of the RBI Act, 1934, no Non-banking Financial company can commence or carry on business of a non-banking financial institution without a) obtaining a certificate of registration from the Bank and without having a Net Owned Funds of ₹ 25 lakhs (₹ Two crore since April 1999). However, in terms of the powers given to the Bank, to obviate dual regulation, certain categories of NBFCs which are regulated by other regulators are exempted from the requirement of registration with RBI viz. Venture Capital Fund/Merchant Banking companies/Stock broking companies registered with SEBI, Insurance Company holding a valid Certificate of Registration issued by IRDA, Nidhi companies as notified under Section 620A of the Companies Act, 1956, Chit companies as defined in clause (b) of Section 2 of the Chit Funds Act, 1982,Housing Finance Companies regulated by National Housing Bank, Stock Exchange or a Mutual Benefit company.5. What are the requirements for registration with RBI?A company incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 and desirous of commencing business of non-banking financial institution as defined under Section 45 I(a) of the RBI Act, 1934 should comply with the following:i. it should be a company registered under Section 3 of the companies Act, 1956ii. It should have a minimum net owned fund of ₹ 200 lakh. (The minimum net owned fund (NOF) required for specialized NBFCs like NBFC-MFIs, NBFC-Factors, CICs is indicated separately in the FAQs on specialized NBFCs)6. What is the procedure for application to the Reserve Bank for Registration?The applicant company is required to apply online and submit a physical copy of the application along with the necessary documents to the Regional Office of the Reserve Bank of India. The application can be submitted online by accessing RBI’s secured website https://cosmos.rbi.org.in . At this stage, the applicant company will not need to log on to the COSMOS application and hence user ids are not required. The company can click on “CLICK” for Company Registration on the login page of the COSMOS Application. A window showing the Excel application form available for download would be displayed. The company can then download suitable application form (i.e. NBFC or SC/RC) from the above website, key in the data and upload the application form. The company may note to indicate the correct name of the Regional Office in the field “C-8” of the “Annex-I dentification Particulars” in the Excel application form. The company would then get a Company Application Reference Number for the CoR application filed on-line. Thereafter, the company has to submit the hard copy of the application form (indicating the online Company Application Reference Number, along with the supporting documents, to the concerned Regional Office. The company can then check the status of the application from the above mentioned secure address, by keying in the acknowledgement number.7. What are the essential documents required to be submitted along with the application form to the Regional Office of the Reserve Bank?The application form and an indicative checklist of the documents required to be submitted along with the application is available at www.rbi.org.in → Site Map → NBFC List → Forms/ Returns.8. What are systemically important NBFCs?NBFCs whose asset size is of ₹ 500 cr or more as per last audited balance sheet are considered as systemically important NBFCs. The rationale for such classification is that the activities of such NBFCs will have a bearing on the financial stability of the overall economy.B. Entities Regulated by RBI and applicable regulations9. Does the Reserve Bank regulate all financial companies?No. Housing Finance Companies, Merchant Banking Companies, Stock Exchanges, Companies engaged in the business of stock-broking/sub-broking, Venture Capital Fund Companies, Nidhi Companies, Insurance companies and Chit Fund Companies are NBFCs but they have been exempted from the requirement of registration under Section 45-IA of the RBI Act, 1934 subject to certain conditions.Housing Finance Companies are regulated by National Housing Bank, Merchant Banker/Venture Capital Fund Company/stock-exchanges/stock brokers/sub-brokers are regulated by Securities and Exchange Board of India, and Insurance companies are regulated by Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority. Similarly, Chit Fund Companies are regulated by the respective State Governments and Nidhi Companies are regulated by Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India. Companies that do financial business but are regulated by other regulators are given specific exemption by the Reserve Bank from its regulatory requirements for avoiding duality of regulation.It may also be mentioned that Mortgage Guarantee Companies have been notified as Non-Banking Financial Companies under Section 45 I(f)(iii) of the RBI Act, 1934. Core Investment Companies with asset size of less than ₹ 100 crore, and those with asset size of ₹ 100 crore and above but not accessing public funds are exempted from registration with the RBI.10. What are the different types/categories of NBFCs registered with RBI?NBFCs are categorized a) in terms of the type of liabilities into Deposit and Non-Deposit accepting NBFCs, b) non deposit taking NBFCs by their size into systemically important and other non-deposit holding companies (NBFC-NDSI and NBFC-ND) and c) by the kind of activity they conduct. Within this broad categorization the different types of NBFCs are as follows:I. Asset Finance Company (AFC) : An AFC is a company which is a financial institution carrying on as its principal business the financing of physical assets supporting productive/economic activity, such as automobiles, tractors, lathe machines, generator sets, earth moving and material handling equipments, moving on own power and general purpose industrial machines. Principal business for this purpose is defined as aggregate of financing real/physical assets supporting economic activity and income arising therefrom is not less than 60% of its total assets and total income respectively.II. Investment Company (IC) : IC means any company which is a financial institution carrying on as its principal business the acquisition of securities,III. Loan Company (LC): LC means any company which is a financial institution carrying on as its principal business the providing of finance whether by making loans or advances or otherwise for any activity other than its own but does not include an Asset Finance Company.IV. Infrastructure Finance Company (IFC): IFC is a non-banking finance company a) which deploys at least 75 per cent of its total assets in infrastructure loans, b) has a minimum Net Owned Funds of ₹ 300 crore, c) has a minimum credit rating of ‘A ‘or equivalent d) and a CRAR of 15%.V. Systemically Important Core Investment Company (CIC-ND-SI): CIC-ND-SI is an NBFC carrying on the business of acquisition of shares and securities which satisfies the following conditions:-(a) it holds not less than 90% of its Total Assets in the form of investment in equity shares, preference shares, debt or loans in group companies;(b) its investments in the equity shares (including instruments compulsorily convertible into equity shares within a period not exceeding 10 years from the date of issue) in group companies constitutes not less than 60% of its Total Assets;(c) it does not trade in its investments in shares, debt or loans in group companies except through block sale for the purpose of dilution or disinvestment;(d) it does not carry on any other financial activity referred to in Section 45I(c) and 45I(f) of the RBI act, 1934 except investment in bank deposits, money market instruments, government securities, loans to and investments in debt issuances of group companies or guarantees issued on behalf of group companies.(e) Its asset size is ₹ 100 crore or above and(f) It accepts public fundsVI. Infrastructure Debt Fund: Non- Banking Financial Company (IDF-NBFC) : IDF-NBFC is a company registered as NBFC to facilitate the flow of long term debt into infrastructure projects. IDF-NBFC raise resources through issue of Rupee or Dollar denominated bonds of minimum 5 year maturity. Only Infrastructure Finance Companies (IFC) can sponsor IDF-NBFCs.VII. Non-Banking Financial Company - Micro Finance Institution (NBFC-MFI): NBFC-MFI is a non-deposit taking NBFC having not less than 85% of its assets in the nature of qualifying assets which satisfy the following criteria:a. loan disbursed by an NBFC-MFI to a borrower with a rural household annual income not exceeding ₹ 1,00,000 or urban and semi-urban household income not exceeding ₹ 1,60,000;b. loan amount does not exceed ₹ 50,000 in the first cycle and ₹ 1,00,000 in subsequent cycles;c. total indebtedness of the borrower does not exceed ₹ 1,00,000;d. tenure of the loan not to be less than 24 months for loan amount in excess of ₹ 15,000 with prepayment without penalty;e. loan to be extended without collateral;f. aggregate amount of loans, given for income generation, is not less than 50 per cent of the total loans given by the MFIs;g. loan is repayable on weekly, fortnightly or monthly instalments at the choice of the borrowerVIII. Non-Banking Financial Company – Factors (NBFC-Factors): NBFC-Factor is a non-deposit taking NBFC engaged in the principal business of factoring. The financial assets in the factoring business should constitute at least 50 percent of its total assets and its income derived from factoring business should not be less than 50 percent of its gross income.IX. Mortgage Guarantee Companies (MGC) - MGC are financial institutions for which at least 90% of the business turnover is mortgage guarantee business or at least 90% of the gross income is from mortgage guarantee business and net owned fund is ₹ 100 crore.X. NBFC- Non-Operative Financial Holding Company (NOFHC) is financial institution through which promoter / promoter groups will be permitted to set up a new bank .It’s a wholly-owned Non-Operative Financial Holding Company (NOFHC) which will hold the bank as well as all other financial services companies regulated by RBI or other financial sector regulators, to the extent permissible under the applicable regulatory prescriptions.11. What are the powers of the Reserve Bank with regard to 'Non-Bank Financial Companies’, that is, companies that meet the 50-50 Principal Business Criteria?The Reserve Bank has been given the powers under the RBI Act 1934 to register, lay down policy, issue directions, inspect, regulate, supervise and exercise surveillance over NBFCs that meet the 50-50 criteria of principal business. The Reserve Bank can penalize NBFCs for violating the provisions of the RBI Act or the directions or orders issued by RBI under RBI Act. The penal action can also result in RBI cancelling the Certificate of Registration issued to the NBFC, or prohibiting them from accepting deposits and alienating their assets or filing a winding up petition.12. What action can be taken against persons/financial companies making false claim of being regulated by the Reserve Bank?It is illegal for any financial entity or unincorporated body to make a false claim of being regulated by the Reserve Bank to mislead the public to collect deposits and is liable for penal action under the Indian Penal Code. Information in this regard may be forwarded to the nearest office of the Reserve Bank and the Police.13. What action is taken if financial companies which are lending or making investments as their principal business do not obtain a Certificate of Registration from the Reserve Bank?If companies that are required to be registered with the Reserve Bank as NBFCs, are found to be conducting non-banking financial activity, such as, lending, investment or deposit acceptance as their principal business, without seeking registration, the Reserve Bank can impose penalty or fine on them or can even prosecute them in a court of law. If members of public come across any entity which does non-banking financial activity but does not figure in the list of authorized NBFC on RBI website, they should inform the nearest Regional Office of the Reserve Bank, for appropriate action to be taken for contravention of the provisions of the RBI Act, 1934.14. Where can one find list of Registered NBFCs and instructions issued to NBFCs?The list of registered NBFCs is available on the web site of Reserve Bank of India and can be viewed at www.rbi.org.in → Sitemap → NBFC List. The instructions issued to NBFCs from time to time are also hosted at www.rbi.org.in → Notifications → Master Circulars → Non-banking, besides, being issued through Official Gazette notifications and press releases.15. What are the regulations applicable on non-deposit accepting NBFCs with asset size of less than ₹ 500 crore?The regulation on non-deposit accepting NBFCs with asset size of less than ₹ 500 crore would be as under:(i) They shall not be subjected to any regulation either prudential or conduct of business regulations viz., Fair Practices Code (FPC), KYC, etc., if they have not accessed any public funds and do not have a customer interface.(ii) Those having customer interface will be subjected only to conduct of business regulations including FPC, KYC etc., if they are not accessing public funds.(iii) Those accepting public funds will be subjected to limited prudential regulations but not conduct of business regulations if they have no customer interface.(iv) Where both public funds are accepted and customer interface exist, such companies will be subjected both to limited prudential regulations and conduct of business regulations.16. What does the term public funds include? Is it the same as public deposits?Public funds are not the same as public deposits. Public funds include public deposits, inter-corporate deposits, bank finance and all funds received whether directly or indirectly from outside sources such as funds raised by issue of Commercial Papers, debentures etc. However, even though public funds include public deposits in the general course, it may be noted that CICs/CICs-ND-SI cannot accept public deposits.Further, indirect receipt of public funds means funds received not directly but through associates and group entities which have access to public funds.17. What are the various prudential regulations applicable to NBFCs?The Bank has issued detailed directions on prudential norms, vide Non-Banking Financial (Deposit Accepting or Holding) Companies Prudential Norms (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2007, Non-Systemically Important Non-Banking Financial (Non-Deposit Accepting or Holding) Companies Prudential Norms (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2015 and Systemically Important Non-Banking Financial (Non-Deposit Accepting or Holding) Companies Prudential Norms (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2015. Applicable regulations vary based on the deposit acceptance or systemic importance of the NBFC.The directions inter alia, prescribe guidelines on income recognition, asset classification and provisioning requirements applicable to NBFCs, exposure norms, disclosures in the balance sheet, requirement of capital adequacy, restrictions on investments in land and building and unquoted shares, loan to value (LTV) ratio for NBFCs predominantly engaged in business of lending against gold jewellery, besides others. Deposit accepting NBFCs have also to comply with the statutory liquidity requirements. Details of the prudential regulations applicable to NBFCs holding deposits and those not holding deposits is available in the section ‘Regulation – Non-Banking – Notifications - Master Circulars’ in the RBI website.18. Please explain the terms ‘owned fund’ and ‘net owned fund’ in relation to NBFCs?‘Owned Fund’ means aggregate of the paid-up equity capital, preference shares which are compulsorily convertible into equity, free reserves, balance in share premium account and capital reserves representing surplus arising out of sale proceeds of asset, excluding reserves created by revaluation of asset, after deducting therefrom accumulated balance of loss, deferred revenue expenditure and other intangible assets. 'Net Owned Fund' is the amount as arrived at above, minus the amount of investments of such company in shares of its subsidiaries, companies in the same group and all other NBFCs and the book value of debentures, bonds, outstanding loans and advances including hire purchase and lease finance made to and deposits with subsidiaries and companies in the same group, to the extent it exceeds 10% of the owned fund.19. What are the responsibilities of the NBFCs registered with Reserve Bank, with regard to submission on compliances and other information?A. Returns to be submitted by deposit taking NBFCsNBS-1 Quarterly Returns on deposits in First Schedule.NBS-2 Quarterly return on Prudential Norms is required to be submitted by NBFC accepting public deposits.NBS-3 Quarterly return on Liquid Assets by deposit taking NBFC.NBS-4 Annual return of critical parameters by a rejected company holding public deposits. (NBS-5 stands withdrawn as submission of NBS 1 has been made quarterly.)NBS-6 Monthly return on exposure to capital market by deposit taking NBFC with total assets of ₹ 100 crore and above.Half-yearly ALM return by NBFC holding public deposits of more than ₹ 20 crore or asset size of more than ₹ 100 croreAudited Balance sheet and Auditor’s Report by NBFC accepting public deposits.Branch Info Return.B. Returns to be submitted by NBFCs-ND-SINBS-7 A Quarterly statement of capital funds, risk weighted assets, risk asset ratio etc., for NBFC-ND-SI.Monthly Return on Important Financial Parameters of NBFCs-ND-SI.ALM returns:(i) Statement of short term dynamic liquidity in format ALM [NBS-ALM1] -Monthly,(ii) Statement of structural liquidity in format ALM [NBS-ALM2] Half yearly,(iii) Statement of Interest Rate Sensitivity in format ALM -[NBS-ALM3], Half yearlyBranch Info returnC. Quarterly return on important financial parameters of non deposit taking NBFCs having assets of more than ₹ 50 crore and above but less than ₹ 100 croreBasic information like name of the company, address, NOF, profit / loss during the last three years has to be submitted quarterly by non-deposit taking NBFCs with asset size between ₹ 50 crore and ₹ 100 crore.There are other generic reports to be submitted by all NBFCs as elaborated in Master Circular on Returns to be submitted by NBFCs as available on www.rbi.org.in → Notifications → Master Circulars → Non-banking and Circular DNBS (IT) CC.No.02/24.01.191/2015-16 dated July 9, 2015 as available on www.rbi.org.in → Notifications.20. Whether the circular on Lending against shares dated August 21, 2014 is applicable to existing loans also?The Circular is applicable from the date of the circular and therefore the Circular shall not apply on those transactions which have been entered into prior to the date of the Circular. However, the guidelines will be applicable in case of roll-over/ renewal of loans. Guidelines will not apply to transactions where documents have been executed prior to the date of the circular and disbursement is pending.21. Will the circular on Lending against shares be applicable on restructured accounts?No. the Circular will not be applicable on restructured accounts22. Will the Circular on Lending against shares be applicable on those loans where the primary security is not shares/ units of mutual funds?Loans which are against the collateral of multiple securities and it is specifically agreed to in the agreement that primary security would be something other than shares/ units of mutual funds, LTV would not be applicable. However, reporting requirements shall remain. In cases where such differentiation is not made (thereby NBFCs can off-load shares at the instance of a default), LTV would be applicable.23. Whether LTV for loans issued against the collateral of shares is to be computed at scrip level or at portfolio level?LTV would be computed at portfolio level.24. Whether PoA/ Non-Disposal undertaking structure by whatever name called is covered under the Circular on Lending against shares?Yes, the Circular would be applicable and the type of encumbrance created is immaterial.25. Does the definition of “companies in a group” as given in Systemically Important Non-Banking Financial (non-deposit accepting or holding) companies Prudential Norms Directions, 2015 apply in respect of concentration of credit/ investment norms.No, the definition of “companies is a group” is only for the purpose of determining the applicability of prudential norms on multiple NBFCs in a group.26. Whether acquisition/ transfer of shareholding of 26 per cent or more of the paid up equity capital of an NBFC within the same group i.e. intra group transfers require prior approval of the Bank?Yes, prior approval would be required in all cases of acquisition/ transfer of shareholding of 26 per cent or more of the paid up equity capital of an NBFC. In case of intra-group transfers, NBFCs shall submit an application, on the company letter head, for obtaining prior approval of the Bank. Based on the application of the NBFC, it would be decided, on a case to case basis, whether the NBFC requires to submit the documents as prescribed at para 3 of DNBR (PD) CC Kjøpesenter Gjøvik & Hamar. 065/03.10.001/2015-16 dated July 9, 2015 for processing the application of the company. In cases where approval is granted without the documents, the NBFC would be required to submit the same after the process of transfer is complete.27. NBFCs are charging high interest rates from their borrowers. Is there any ceiling on interest rate charged by the NBFCs to their borrowers?Reserve Bank of India has deregulated interest rates to be charged to borrowers by financial institutions (other than NBFC- Micro Finance Institution). The rate of interest to be charged by the company is governed by the terms and conditions of the loan agreement entered into between the borrower and the NBFCs. However, the NBFCs have to be transparent and the rate of interest and manner of arriving at the rate of interest to different categories of borrowers should be disclosed to the borrower or customer in the application form and communicated explicitly in the sanction letter etc.28. RBI permits NBFCs to hedge their exposure through dealing in IRFs. Currently, IRFs are on single stock 10 yr 8.40% 2024 security. The Composition of Balance Sheet is mix of fixed/ floating interest rate and different credit profile. Whether 10 yr single security can be used for hedging 2-3 yr liability and asset (Duration adjusted) or can be used for investment in other long tenor securities or corporate bonds. Alternatively, whether IRFs can be used holistically for hedging assets and liabilities in dynamic interest rate scenarios within total Balance Sheet amount and within hedging definition?IRF may be used to hedge interest rate risk associated with single asset/ liability or a group of assets/ liabilities. Hence, NBFCs are permitted to use duration based hedging for managing interest rate risk.29. Whether NBFCs as trading member can participate in the IRF market only for hedging or can also take trading position?As per extant guidelines NBFCs with asset size of ₹ 1,000 cr and above are permitted to participate in IRF as trading members. While, trading members of stock exchanges are permitted to execute trades on their own account as well as on account of their clients, banks and PDs have been allowed to deal in IRF for both hedging and trading on own account and not on client’s account. Similarly, NBFCs as trading members are permitted to execute their proprietary trades and not to undertake transactions on behalf of clients.C. Residuary Non-Banking Companies (RNBCs)30. What is a Residuary Non-Banking Company (RNBC)? In what way it is different from other NBFCs?Residuary Non-Banking Company is a class of NBFC which is a company and has as its principal business the receiving of deposits, under any scheme or arrangement or in any other manner and not being Investment, Asset Financing, Loan Company. These companies are required to maintain investments as per directions of RBI, in addition to liquid assets. The functioning of these companies is different from those of NBFCs in terms of method of mobilization of deposits and requirement of deployment of depositors' funds as per Directions. Besides, Prudential Norms Directions are applicable to these companies also.31. We understand that there is no ceiling on raising of deposits by RNBCs, then how safe is deposit with them?It is true that there is no ceiling on raising of deposits by RNBCs. However, every RNBC has to ensure that the amounts deposited with it are fully invested in approved investments. In other words, in order to secure the interests of depositor, such companies are required to invest 100 per cent of their deposit liability into highly liquid and secure instruments, namely, Central/State Government securities, fixed deposits with scheduled commercial banks (SCB), Certificate of Deposits of SCB/FIs, units of Mutual Funds, etc.32. Can RNBC forfeit deposit if deposit instalments are not paid regularly or discontinued?No. Residuary Non-Banking Company cannot forfeit any amount deposited by the depositor, or any interest, premium, bonus or other advantage accrued thereon.33. What is the rate of interest that an RNBC must pay on deposits and what should be maturity period of deposits taken by them?The minimum interest an RNBC should pay on deposits should be 5% (to be compounded annually) on the amount deposited in lump sum or at monthly or longer intervals; and 3.5% (to be compounded annually) on the amount deposited under daily deposit scheme. Interest here includes premium, bonus or any other advantage, that an RNBC promises to the depositor by way of return. An RNBC can accept deposits for a minimum period of 12 months and maximum period of 84 months from the date of receipt of such deposit. They cannot accept deposits repayable on demand. However, at present, the only RNBCs in existence (Peerless) has been directed by the Reserve Bank to stop collecting deposits, repay the deposits to the depositor and wind up their RNBC business as their business model is inherently unviable.D. Definition of deposits, Eligible / Ineligible Institutions to accept deposits and Related Matters34. What is ‘deposit’ and ‘public deposit’? Is it defined anywhere?The term ‘deposit’ is defined under Section 45 I(bb) of the RBI Act, 1934. ‘Deposit’ includes and shall be deemed always to have included any receipt of money by way of deposit or loan or in any other form but does not include:i. amount raised by way of share capital, or contributed as capital by partners of a firm;ii. amount received from a scheduled bank, a co-operative bank, a banking company, Development bank, State Financial Corporation, IDBI or any other institution specified by RBI;iii. amount received in ordinary course of business by way of security deposit, dealership deposit, earnest money, advance against orders for goods, properties or services;iv. amount received by a registered money lender other than a body corporate;v. amount received by way of subscriptions in respect of a ‘Chit’.Paragraph 2(1)(xii) of the Non-Banking Financial Companies Acceptance of Public Deposits ( Reserve Bank) Directions, 1998 defines a ‘ public deposit’ as a ‘deposit’ as defined under Section 45 I(bb) of the RBI Act, 1934 and further excludes the following:a. amount received from the Central/ State Government or any other source where repayment is guaranteed by Central/ State Government or any amount received from local authority or foreign government or any foreign citizen/ authority/ person;b. any amount received from financial institutions specified by RBI for this purpose;c. any amount received by a company from any other company;d. amount received by way of subscriptions to shares, stock, bonds or debentures pending allotment or by way of calls in advance if such amount is not repayable to the members under the articles of association of the company;e. amount received from directors of a company or from its shareholders by private company or by a private company which has become a public company;f. amount raised by issue of bonds or debentures secured by mortgage of any immovable property or other asset of the company subject to conditions;fa. any amount raised by issuance of non-convertible debentures with a maturity more than one year and having the minimum subscription per investor at ₹ 1 crore and above, provided it is in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Bank.g. the amount brought in by the promoters by way of unsecured loan;h. amount received from a mutual fund;i. any amount received as hybrid debt or subordinated debt;j. amount received from a relative of the director of an NBFC;k. any amount received by issuance of Commercial Paper.l. any amount received by a systemically important non-deposit taking non-banking financial company by issuance of ‘perpetual debt instruments’m. any amount raised by the issue of infrastructure bonds by an Infrastructure Finance CompanyThus, the directions exclude from the definition of public deposit, amount raised from certain set of informed lenders who can make independent decision.35. Which entities can legally accept deposits from public?Banks, including co-operative banks, can accept deposits. Non-bank finance companies, which have been issued Certificate of Registration by RBI with a specific licence to accept deposits, are entitled to accept public deposit. In other words, not all NBFCs registered with the Reserve Bank are entitled to accept deposits but only those that hold a deposit accepting Certificate of Registration can accept deposits. They can, however, accept deposits, only to the extent permissible. Housing Finance Companies, which are again specifically authorized to collect deposits and companies authorized by Ministry of Corporate Affairs under the Companies Acceptance of Deposits Rules framed by Central Government under the Companies Act can also accept deposits also upto a certain limit. Cooperative Credit Societies can accept deposits from their members but not from the general public. The Reserve Bank regulates the deposit acceptance only of banks, cooperative banks and NBFCs.It is not legally permissible for other entities to accept public deposits. Unincorporated bodies like individuals, partnership firms, and other association of individuals are prohibited from carrying on the business of acceptance of deposits as their principal business. Such unincorporated bodies are prohibited from even accepting deposits if they are carrying on financial business.36. Can all NBFCs accept deposits? Is there any ceiling on acceptance of Public Deposits? What is the rate of interest and period of deposit which NBFCs can accept?All NBFCs are not entitled to accept public deposits. Only those NBFCs to which the Bank had given a specific authorisation and have an investment grade rating are allowed to accept/ hold public deposits to a limit of 1.5 times of its Net Owned Funds. All existing unrated AFCs that have been allowed to accept deposits shall have to get themselves rated by March 31, 2016. Those AFCs that do not get an investment grade rating by March 31, 2016, will not be allowed to renew existing or accept fresh deposits thereafter. In the intervening period, i.e. till March 31, 2016, unrated AFCs or those with a sub-investment grade rating can only renew existing deposits on maturity, and not accept fresh deposits, till they obtain an investment grade rating.However, as a matter of public policy, Reserve Bank has decided that only banks should be allowed to accept public deposits and as such has since 1997 not issued any Certificate of Registration (CoR) to new NBFCs for acceptance of public deposits.Presently, the maximum rate of interest an NBFC can offer is 12.5%. The interest may be paid or compounded at rests not shorter than monthly rests. The NBFCs are allowed to accept/renew public deposits for a minimum period of 12 months and maximum period of 60 months. They cannot accept deposits repayable on demand.37. In respect of companies which do not fulfill the 50-50 criteria but are accepting deposits – do they come under RBI purview?A company which does not have financial assets which is more than 50% of its total assets and does not derive at least 50% of its gross income from such assets is not an NBFC. Its principal business would be non-financial activity like agricultural operations, industrial activity, purchase or sale of goods or purchase/construction of immoveable property, and will be a non-banking non-financial company. Acceptance of deposits by a Non-Banking Non-Financial Company are governed by the rules and regulations issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.38. Why is the RBI so restrictive in allowing NBFCs to raise public deposits?The Reserve Bank's overarching concern while supervising any financial entity is protection of depositors' interest. Depositors place deposit with any entity on trust unlike an investor who invests in the shares of a company with the intention of sharing the risk as well as return with the promoters. Protection of depositors' interest thus is supreme in financial regulation. Banks are the most regulated financial entities. The Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation pays insurance on deposits up to ₹ One lakh in case a bank failed.39. Which are the NBFCs specifically authorized by RBI to accept deposits?The Reserve Bank publishes the list of NBFCs that hold a valid Certificate of Registration for accepting deposits on its website: www.rbi.org.in → Sitemap → NBFC List → List of NBFCs Permitted to Accept Deposits. At times, some companies are temporarily prohibited from accepting public deposits. The Reserve Bank publishes the list of NBFCs temporarily prohibited also on its website. The Reserve Bank keeps both these lists updated. Members of the public are advised to check both these lists before placing deposits with NBFCs.40. Whether NBFCs can accept deposits from NRIs?Effective from April 24, 2004, NBFCs cannot accept deposits from NRIs except deposits by debit to NRO account of NRI provided such amount does not represent inward remittance or transfer from NRE/FCNR (B) account. However, the existing NRI deposits can be renewed.41. Can a Co-operative Credit Society accept deposits from the public?No. Co-operative Credit Societies cannot accept deposits from general public. They can accept deposits only from their members within the limit specified in their bye laws.42. Can a Salary Earners’ Society accept deposits from the public?No. These societies are formed for salaried employees and hence they can accept deposit only from their own members and not from general public.43. Is nomination facility available to the Depositors of NBFCs?Yes, nomination facility is available to the depositors of NBFCs. The Rules for nomination facility are provided for in section 45QB of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. Non-Banking Financial Companies have been advised to adopt the Banking Companies (Nomination) Rules, 1985 made under Section 45ZA of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. Accordingly, depositor/s of NBFCs are permitted to nominate one person to whom the NBFC can return the deposit in the event of the death of the depositor/s. NBFCs are advised to accept nominations made by the depositors in the form similar to one specified under the said rules, viz Form DA 1 for the purpose of nomination, and Form DA2 and DA3 for cancellation of nomination and change of nomination respectively.44. How does the Reserve Bank come to know about unauthorized acceptance of deposits by companies not registered with it or of NBFCs engaged in lending or investment activities without obtaining the Certificate of Registration from it?NBFCs that ought to have sought registration from RBI but are functioning without doing so are committing a breach of law. Such companies are liable for action as envisaged under the RBI Act, 1934. To identify such entities, RBI has multiple sources of information. These include market intelligence, complaints received from affected parties, industry sources, and exception reports submitted by statutory auditors in terms of Non-Banking Financial Companies Auditor’s Report (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2008. Further, the State Level Co-ordination Committees (SLCC) is convened by RBI in all the States/UTs on quarterly basis. The SLCC is now chaired by the Chief Secretary/ Administrator of the concerned State/UT and has, as its members, apart from the Reserve Bank, the Regional Directorate of the MCA/ ROC, local unit of SEBI, NHB, Registrar of Chits, ICAI, Economic Intelligence Unit of the State Police and officials from Law and Home Ministries of the State Government. As all the relevant financial sector regulators and enforcement agencies participate in the SLCC, it is possible to quickly share the information and agree on an effective course of action to be taken against entities indulging in unauthorized and suspect businesses involving funds mobilization from public.45. Can Proprietorship/Partnership Concerns associated/not associated with registered NBFCs accept public deposits?No. Proprietorship and partnership concerns are un-incorporated bodies. Hence they are prohibited under the RBI Act 1934 from accepting public deposits.46. There are many jewellery shops taking money from the public in instalments. Is this amounting to acceptance of deposits?It depends on whether the money is received as advance for delivering jewellery at a future date or whether the money is received with a promise to return the same with interest. The money accepted by Jewellery shops in instalments for the purpose of delivering jewellery at the end of the period of contract is not deposit. It will amount to acceptance of deposits if in return for the money received, the jewellery shop promises to return the principal amount along with interest.47. What action can be taken if such unincorporated entities accept public deposits? What if NBFCs which have not been authorized to accept public deposits use proprietorship/partnership firms floated by their promoters to collect deposits?Such unincorporated entities, if found accepting public deposits, are liable for criminal action. Further NBFCs are prohibited by RBI from associating with any unincorporated bodies. If NBFCs associate themselves with proprietorship/partnership firms accepting deposits in contravention of RBI Act, they are also liable to be prosecuted under criminal law or under the Protection of Interest of Depositors (in Financial Establishments) Act, if passed by the State Governments.48. What is the difference between acceptance of money by Chit Funds and acceptance of deposits?Deposits are defined under the RBI Act 1934 as acceptance of money other than that raised by way of share capital, money received from banks and other financial institutions, money received as security deposit, earnest money and advance against goods or services and subscriptions to chits. All other amounts, received as loan or in any form are treated as deposits. Chit Funds activity involves contributions by members in instalments by way of subscription to the Chit and by rotation each member of the Chit receives the chit amount. The subscriptions are specifically excluded from the definition of deposits and cannot be termed as deposits. While Chit funds may collect subscriptions as above, they are prohibited by RBI from accepting deposits with effect from August 2009.E. Depositor Protection Issues49. What are the salient features of NBFC regulations which the depositor may note at the time of investment?Some of the important regulations relating to acceptance of deposits by NBFCs are as under:The NBFCs are allowed to accept/renew public deposits for a minimum period of 12 months and maximum period of 60 months. They cannot accept deposits repayable on demand.NBFCs cannot offer interest rates higher than the ceiling rate prescribed by RBI from time to time. The present ceiling is 12.5 per cent per annum. The interest may be paid or compounded at rests not shorter than monthly rests.NBFCs cannot offer gifts/incentives or any other additional benefit to the depositors.NBFCs should have minimum investment grade credit rating.The deposits with NBFCs are not insured.The repayment of deposits by NBFCs is not guaranteed by RBI.Certain mandatory disclosures are to be made about the company in the Application Form issued by the company soliciting deposits.50. What precautions should a depositor take before placing deposit with an NBFC?A depositor wanting to place deposit with an NBFC must take the following precautions before placing deposits:That the NBFC is registered with RBI and specifically authorized by the RBI to accept deposits. A list of deposit taking NBFCs entitled to accept deposits is available at www.rbi.org.in → Sitemap → NBFC List. The depositor should check the list of NBFCs permitted to accept public deposits and also check that it is not appearing in the list of companies prohibited from accepting deposits, which is available at www.rbi.org.in → Sitemap → NBFC List → NBFCs who have been issued prohibitory orders, winding up petitions filed and legal cases under Chapter IIIB, IIIC and others.NBFCs have to prominently display the Certificate of Registration (CoR) issued by the Reserve Bank on its site. This certificate should also reflect that the NBFC has been specifically authorized by RBI to accept deposits. Depositors must scrutinize the certificate to ensure that the NBFC is authorized to accept deposits.The maximum interest rate that an NBFC can pay to a depositor should not exceed 12.5%. The Reserve Bank keeps altering the interest rates depending on the macro-economic environment. The Reserve Bank publishes the change in the interest rates on www.rbi.org.in → Sitemap → NBFC List → FAQs.The depositor must insist on a proper receipt for every amount of deposit placed with the company. The receipt should be duly signed by an officer authorized by the company and should state the date of the deposit, the name of the depositor, the amount in words and figures, rate of interest payable, maturity date and amount.In the case of brokers/agents etc collecting public deposits on behalf of NBFCs, the depositors should satisfy themselves that the brokers/agents are duly authorized by the NBFC.The depositor must bear in mind that public deposits are unsecured and Deposit Insurance facility is not available to depositors of NBFCs.The Reserve Bank of India does not accept any responsibility or guarantee about the present position as to the financial soundness of the company or for the correctness of any of the statements or representations made or opinions expressed by the company and for repayment of deposits/discharge of the liabilities by the company.51. Does RBI guarantee the repayment of the deposits collected by NBFCs?No. The Reserve Bank does not guarantee repayment of deposits by NBFCs even though they may be authorized to collect deposits. As such, investors and depositors should take informed decisions while placing deposit with an NBFC.52. In case an NBFC defaults in repayment of deposit what course of action can be taken by depositors?If an NBFC defaults in repayment of deposit, the depositor can approach Company Law Board or Consumer Forum or file a civil suit in a court of law to recover the deposits. NBFCs are also advised to follow a grievance redress procedure as indicated in reply to question 57 below. Further, at the level of the State Government, the State Legislations on Protection of Interest of Depositors (in Financial Establishments) empowers the State Governments to take action even before the default takes place or complaints are received from depositors. If there is perpetration of an offence and if the intention is to defraud, the State Government can even attach properties.53. What is the role of Company Law Board in protecting the interest of depositors? How can one approach it?When an NBFC fails to repay any deposit or part thereof in accordance with the terms and conditions of such deposit, the Company Law Board (CLB) either on its own motion or on an application from the depositor, directs by order the Non-Banking Financial Company to make repayment of such deposit or part thereof forthwith or within such time and subject to such conditions as may be specified in the order. After making the payment, the company will need to file the compliance with the local office of the Reserve Bank of India.As explained above, the depositor can approach CLB by mailing an application in prescribed form to the appropriate bench of the Company Law Board according to its territorial jurisdiction along with the prescribed fee.