Interim Union Budget Proposals: 2014-15
Interim Union Budget Proposals: 2014-15
Interim Union Budget Proposals: 2014-15
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professional excellence
Volume No. : 6
Issue No. : 8
March 2014
Provision
INSIDE
"The information / news items contained in this publication have appeared in various external sources / media for public use
or consumption and are now meant only for members and subscribers. The views expressed and / or events narrated /
stated in the said information / news items are as perceived by the respective sources. IIBF neither holds nor assumes any
responsibility for the correctness or adequacy or otherwise of the news items / events or any information whatsoever."
10% of paid-up capital and reserves for all nonfinancial companies and unregulated financial services
companies taken together,
Top Stories
Flash Aadhaar to get debit card
Soon, people in rural areas would just need to walk into a
grocery store with their Aadhaar number to instantly get a
debit card. Launched in New Delhi initially under the
name Saral Money, major private and public sector lenders
are planning to enable Banking Correspondents (BCs)
and grocery stores to issue instant debit cards in order to
utilize the Aadhaar database for financial inclusion. The
Government will be able to send money to people with
such cards even if the person does not have a bank
account. This would be initiated in two ways - with the
help of BCs visiting households and also through Pointof-Sale (PoS) terminals installed at various grocery stores.
According to a report by a panel headed by Dr. Nachiket
Mor, by January 1, 2016, the number and distribution of
electronic payment access points would be such that every
resident would be within 15 minutes walking distance
from such a point anywhere in the country.
Banking Policies
Investment limit for foreign investors raised to $10
billion
In order to attract more long-term dollars into
Government bonds, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has
hiked the investment limit for foreign investors (viz.
sovereign wealth funds, pension funds and foreign central
banks) from $5 billion to $10 billion. The hike will reduce
the debt available for short-term investments to $20
billion from the earlier $25 billion. However, the overall
investment limit in Government bonds for Foreign
Institutional Investors (FII) has been kept at $30 billion.
RBI eases third party payment norms for export and
import
Reserve Bank of India liberalised the third party payment
norms for import of goods by removing the ceiling of
$100,000. Earlier, the amount of an import transaction
for third party payment could not exceed $100,000. RBI
also simplified certain documentation norms related with
third party payments for export and import transactions.
Non-maintenance of minimum balance not chargeable
RBI has asked banks to stop levying penalty on nonmaintenance of minimum balance in ordinary savings
IIBF VISION
March 2014
Banks
Banking Developments
Banks, cash management firms to talk ATM security
In keeping with RBI's directives to the banks, the Indian
Banks' Association (IBA) has formed a working group to
look into critical issues of outsourcing cash management
services. The directive stems from the increasing risks such
as looting of cash vans, hindering such activities. The
working group headed by Mr. K. Unnikrishnan, Deputy
Chief Executive, IBA, has representatives from Public Sector
Banks like SBI as well as private sector banks. With ATMs
expanding rapidly across the country, cash management
service companies are having a tough time keeping up with
the demand due to a shortage of armed security guards, who
mandatorily need to be in the cash vans.
ATM transactions without bank account
In another effort towards financial inclusion, RBI has
given in-principle approval for establishing a new
payment system to facilitate fund transfers from bankaccount holders to those without accounts through
Automated Teller Machines (ATMs). An intermediary
will process the payment and send a code to the recipient
on his/her mobile. The code will allow the recipient
to withdraw the money from any nearby bank's ATM.
IIBF VISION
March 2014
Reforms Commission (FSLRC) relating to capacitybuilding in the banking sector. It will examine if the
members on bank boards need to be certified-by an
appropriately designed course which could be mandatory
for every individual before appointment to the board.
The committee headed by Mr. G. Gopalakrishna,
Executive Director, RBI, will identify capacity building
requirements, keeping in view the role of financial sector
and what it should deliver. FSLRC has made important
recommendations pertaining to nine areas, viz. consumer
protection, micro-prudential regulation, capital controls,
systemic risk, monetary policy, public debt management,
contracts, trading and market abuse.
New code may keep bank transactions secure
Now, customers can carry out banking transactions
through the internet without worrying about confidential
information being accessed by undesired elements.
According to the Banking Codes and Standards Board
of India's (BCSBI) revised code of commitment of
customers, from January, banks will have to take more
responsibility for any unauthorised transactions.
Similarly, banks have been asked to desist from upgrading
accounts without the customer's consent. Though banks
cannot insist on a FD, they can still ask for a FD to cover
the rent for the locker facility. Banks will also be advised to
service customers at their home. This will especially
benefit differently-abled customers and senior citizens.
However, the new code can also have an adverse impact
on customer's credit score, as it takes an ambiguous stand
on banks sending repayment data to Credit Information
Companies (CIC). Customer can file a complaint with
bank's grievance redressal officer or then the bank's nodal
officer. If they do not redress customer's grievances,
he/she can approach the banking ombudsman.
IMF to RBI : Weakening bank balance-sheets is a worry
International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cautioned
Indian authorities to closely monitor the deteriorating
corporate financial position and weakening balance
sheets of banks, especially of PSBs. There is a need to
strengthen prudential regulations of banks' asset quality
classification and concentration risks. Indian authorities
need to heed the inter-linkages between corporate
vulnerabilities and the banking system's health. They also
need to modernize the legal and insolvency framework
the Fund said in its wrap-up of the 2014 Article IV
consultations with India.
RBI permits 4 non-bank entities to set up white label ATMs
Reserve Bank of India has issued certificate of authorisation
to four non-bank entities, namely Tata Communications
IIBF VISION
Regulator's Speak...
Macroeconomic factors key for financial stability : RBI
Mr. Deepak Mohanty, Executive Director, RBI has
stated that macroeconomic stability is important for
maintaining stability in the financial system. However
refined the financial regulation might be, it cannot
compensate for weaknesses in the real economy. Hence,
macroeconomic stability characterised by fiscal
prudence and sustainable growth with low inflation
is important to preserve the overall financial systemic
stability. The global financial crisis has given a greater
macro-prudential orientation to financial regulation
and has emphasized on better quality capital to safeguard
financial stability.
'Fight inflation for a better future' : Dr. Rajan
Dr. Raghuram Rajan, Governor, RBI has continued
his crusade against inflation arguing that his high
interest rate policy will make things better. Growthbackers have been critical of the Urjit Patel Committee's
suggestion that the RBI should peg the consumer
price inflation at 4% in the long-term, with a band
of 2% around it. They argue that high interest rates
will not tame the prices, since farm prices are
expanding the inflation rate. However, Dr. Rajan argues
that even the high Minimum Support Prices (MSPs)
could be working against lower prices, as they also drive
input costs. Since rice and wheat are the primary food
commodities procured at MSP, production is distorted
towards them both; thus leading to a suboptimal
production mix by farmers.
Policy rate appropriately set : Dr. Rajan
Dr. Raghuram Rajan, Governor, RBI has emphasized
that India's policy interest rate is appropriately set.
Since September 2013, Dr. Rajan has raised rates three
times by a combined 75 bps despite economic growth
being at a decade-low. He said RBI does not believe
in administering a shock-therapy to a weak economy. It
prefers to disinflate over time rather than abruptly, while
being prepared to take necessary steps if the economy
deviates from the projected inflation path. We are waiting
to act until inflation expectations become entrenched,
but will overlook temporary spikes in inflation. The
monetary policy committee will not put on blinkers and
focus only on the inflation number.
March 2014
Economy
NCAER lowers India FY14 growth forecast to 4.7-4.9%
National Council of Applied Economic Research
(NCAER) has lowered the GDP projection for the current
fiscal to 4.7-4.9% due to exchange rate depreciation.
GDP growth rate for 2013-14 (based on quarterly and
annual models) points to a growth of 4.7-4.9%. Earlier
in November 2013, NCAER had lowered the growth
projection to 4.8-5.3% for 2013-14 from its previous
forecast of 5.9%. An economist with the think-tank said
Since we saw a better rainfall and the baseline oil price
increased by 1%, earlier we had assumed a depreciation of
9.5% in the exchange rate on a y-o-y basis. But now we
assume the exchange rate depreciation to be 11%. This
makes a significant dent to growth of GDP.
Forex
Foreign Exchange Reserves
As on 21st February 2014
Item
`Bn.
US$ Mn.
Total Reserves
18,244.9
293,405.6
16,589.0
266,868.4
20,075.7
(b) Gold
1,254.3
(c) SDRs
276.9
4,455.7
124.7
2,005.8
New Appointments
SWAPS
1 Year
2 Years
3 Years
4 Years
5 Years
USD
0.73150
0.427
0.533
0.728
0.948
GBP
0.90938
0.6319
0.6876
0.7950
0.9737
EUR
0.42786
0.515
0.616
0.762
0.925
JPY
0.45071
0.235
0.239
0.259
0.293
CAD
1.79350
1.325
1.425
1.552
1.679
AUD
3.57500
3.105
3.250
3.455
3.578
CHF
0.25600
0.113
0.193
0.314
0.463
DKK
0.69500
0.7025
0.7950
0.9310
1.1000
NZD
2.69000
2.880
3.068
3.245
3.380
SEK
1.71750
1.432
1.555
1.674
1.804
SGD
0.38500
0.445
0.560
0.780
0.895
HKD
0.42000
0.470
0.570
0.730
0.930
MYR
3.24000
3.250
3.320
3.380
3.460
Designation / Organisation
Mr. D. K. Divakara
Mr. R. K. Takkar
Rural Banking
NABARD to help fund tiny infrastructure projects in
villages
With banks concentrating on funding main-stream
infrastructure projects, NABARD is exploring the feasibility
of supporting micro-infrastructure in villages. NABARD
could support the gram panchayat to develop microinfrastructure projects in villages viz. bore-wells, sanitation,
electrification (solar / biogas / windmill), warehouse to store
Source : FEDAI
IIBF VISION
Name
March 2014
Organisation
Organisation
tied up with
Purpose
RBI
The Central
Bank of
Sri Lanka
Memorandum of understanding
(MoU) on Supervisory
co-operation and exchange
of supervisory information
Small Industries
Development
Bank of India
(SIDBI)
Bahrain
Development
Bank
Canara Bank
National
Collateral
Management
Services Ltd.
(NCML)
Bharatiya
Mahila Bank
(BMB)
IIBF VISION
150 or higher
125
125
125
250
125
1111
20
75
Products
& Alliances
Risk
Weight (%)
100
As detailed in
the RBI Circular.
As per Cir.
Based on rating
by external
credit agency
-do-
March 2014
Financial Basics - Glossary - Institute's Training Activities - News from the Institute
Financial Basics
Restructuring
A restructured account is one where the bank grants
to the borrower concessions that the bank would
not otherwise consider. Restructuring would normally
involve modification of terms of the advances / securities,
which would generally include, among others, alteration
of repayment period / repayable amount / the amount
of instalments and rate of interest. It is a mechanism
to nurture an otherwise viable unit, which has been
adversely impacted, back to health.
2.
IIBF VISION
4th to 15th
February, 2014
2.
10th to 15th
February, 2014
3.
4.
24th to 28th
February, 2014
(Mumbai)
1.
Date
1.
Glossary
Date
10th to 14th
March, 2014
at Mumbai
March 2014
Posted at
Posting
Published on 25
th
of every month.
- Rupee slightly depreciated by 0.63% and 0.53% against GBP and EURO
respectively during the month.
- Rupee however, showed slight appreciation of 0.68% against JPY during
February 2014.
% p.a.
9.50
9.00
8.50
Market Roundup
28/02/14
22/02/14
20/02/14
17/02/14
15/02/14
13/02/14
12/02/14
10/02/14
08/02/14
05/02/14
7.00
03/02/14
7.50
108.00
103.00
98.00
93.00
88.00
83.00
78.00
73.00
68.00
63.00
58.00
EURO
% p.a.
21200
28/02/14
25/02/14
24/02/14
20/02/14
17/02/14
12/02/14
11/02/14
10/02/14
05/02/14
03/02/14
USD
8.00
BSE Sensex
21000
20800
POUND STERLING
20600
Source : Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
- Rupee oscillated between 62.11 and 62.58 during the first 13 days of
the month.
- Rupee closes at 61.86 to a dollar on 17th on the day of budget.
- The rupee on 20th softened by a paise to close at 62.23 against the dollar on late
demand for the American currency from importers and tracking weakness in
local equities .
- Rupee closed finally on the last day at 62.072 to a dollar recording an
appreciation of 0.98% during the month.
20400
28/02/14
26/02/14
24/02/14
21/02/14
20/02/14
19/02/14
18/02/14
14/02/14
13/02/14
11/02/14
10/02/14
07/02/14
05/02/14
20000
03/02/14
20200
IIBF VISION
March 2014