RBI relaxes leverage ratio for banks to boost their lending activities

01 Jul 2019 Evaluate

With an aim to help banks boost their lending activities, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has relaxed the leverage ratio (LR) for them. The leverage ratio stands reduced to 4 per cent for Domestic Systemically Important Banks (DSIBs) and 3.5 per cent for other banks effective from the quarter commencing October 1, 2019.  The RBI further stated that both the capital measure and the exposure measure along with Leverage Ratio are to be disclosed on a quarter-end basis. However, banks must meet the minimum Leverage Ratio requirement at all times.

The leverage ratio, as defined under Basel-III norms, is Tier-I capital as a percentage of the bank’s exposures. The framework is designed to capture leverage associated with both on- and off-balance sheet exposures. Earlier this month, RBI had said it has decided to harmonise LR in line with Basel III standards keeping in mind financial stability of financial firms.

Besides, RBI had said, in last month (June) on Developmental and Regulatory Policies, in order to mitigate risks of excessive leverage, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) designed the Basel III Leverage Ratio as a simple, transparent, and non-risk-based measure to supplement existing risk-based capital adequacy requirements. In terms of the framework on LR put in place by the RBI, banks have been monitored against an indicative LR of 4.5 per cent. These guidelines have served the purpose of disclosures and also as the basis for parallel run by banks. The final minimum LR requirement was to be stipulated taking into consideration the final rules prescribed by the Basel Committee by end 2017.

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