Acceptance of demand deposits, i.e., current deposits, and savings bank deposits. The eligible deposits mobilised by the Payments Bank would be covered under the deposit insurance scheme of the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation of India (DICGC). Given that their primary role is to provide payments and remittance services and demand deposit products to small businesses and low-income households, Payments Banks will initially be restricted to holding a maximum balance of Rs. 100,000 per customer. After the performance of the Payments Bank is gauged by the RBI, the maximum balance can be raised. If the transactions in the accounts conform to the “small accounts”1 transactions, simplified KYC/AML/CFT norms will be applicable to such accounts as defined under the Rules framed under the Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002.
The Payments Bank will be required to use the word “Payments” in its name in order to differentiate it from other banks.
The Payments Bank cannot undertake lending activities. Apart from amounts maintained as Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) with RBI, minimum cash in hand and balances with a scheduled commercial bank/RBI required for operational activities and liquidity management, it will be required to invest all its monies in Government securities/Treasury Bills with maturity up to one year that are recognized by RBI as eligible securities for maintenance of Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR). The Payments Bank will participate in the payment and settlement system and will have access to the inter-bank uncollateralised call money market and the collateralised CBLO market for purposes of temporary liquidity management.
Since the Payments Bank will not be allowed to assume any credit risk, and if its investments are held to maturity, such investments need not be marked to market and there may not be any need for capital for market risk. However, the Payments Bank will be exposed to operational risk. The Payments Bank will also be required to invest heavily in technological infrastructure for its operations. The capital will be utilised for creation of such fixed assets. Therefore, the minimum paid up voting equity capital of the Payments Bank shall be Rs. 100 crore. Any additional voting equity capital to be brought in will depend on the business plan of the promoters. Further, the Payments Bank should have a net worth of Rs 100 crore at all times. The Payments Bank shall be required to maintain a minimum capital adequacy ratio of 15 per cent of its risk weighted assets (RWA) on a continuous basis, subject to any higher percentage as may be prescribed by RBI from time to time. However, as Payments Banks are not expected to deal with sophisticated products, the capital adequacy ratio will be computed under simplified Basel I standards.
The promoter’s minimum initial contribution to the paid up voting equity capital of Payments Bank shall be at least 40 per cent which shall be locked in for a period of five years from the date of commencement of business of the bank. Shareholding by promoters in the bank in excess of 40 per cent shall be brought down to 40 per cent within three years from the date of commencement of business of the bank. Further, the promoter’s stake should be brought down to 30 per cent of the paid-up voting equity capital of the bank within a period of 10 years, and to 26 per cent within 12 years from the date of commencement of business of the bank. Proposals having diversified shareholding and a time frame for listing will be preferred.
As per Section 12 (2) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, the voting rights in private sector banks are capped at 10 per cent, which can be raised to 26 per cent in a phased manner by the RBI. Further, as per Section 12B of the Act ibid, any acquisition of 5 per cent or more of voting equity shares in a private sector bank will require prior approval of RBI. This will also apply to the Payments Banks.
As the Payments Bank will not have loans and advances in its portfolio, it will not be exposed to credit risk and, the prudential norms and regulations of RBI as applicable to loans and advances, will therefore, not apply to it. However, the Payments Bank will be exposed to operational risk and should establish a robust operational risk management system. Further, it may face liquidity risk, and therefore is required to follow RBI’s guidelines on liquidity risk management, to the extent applicable.
https://rbi.org.in/scripts/bs_viewcontent.aspx?Id=2857
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