RBI relaxes ECB norms for low-cost builders

25 Jun 2013 Evaluate

In an effort to spur low-cost housing projects, such as slum rehabilitation, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has eased external commercial borrowings (ECBs) norms for low cost builders by withdrawing minimum capital requirement and lowering total experience to three years, while extending the scheme till next financial year.

The RBI has extended the aggregate limit for ECB under the low cost affordable housing scheme for financial years 2013-14 and 2014-15 with a ceiling of $1 billion in each of the two years and has allowed these companies to hedge the entire borrowing, in order to protect them from any sharp depreciation of the rupee against the dollar. The RBI in a notification has said that the ECB availed of by developers and builders shall be swapped into rupees for the entire maturity on a fully hedged basis.

In addition, the central bank also reduced the minimum experience companies have to undertake these projects to 3 years from 5 years. Besides, apex bank also scrapped the minimum paid-up capital of not less than Rs 50 crore for the housing finance companies (HFCs) to avail ECBs. However, the condition of the minimum Net Owned Funds (NoF) of Rs 300 crore for the past three financial years has been retained by India’s apex bank.

Further, it has been decided that interest rate spread to be charged by National Housing bank (NHB) would be decided taking into account cost and other relevant factors and that NHB shall ensure interest rates spread for HFCs for on-lending to prospective owners’ of individual units under the low cost affordable housing scheme shall be reasonable. It further added that the HFCs while making applications for ECB should submit a certificate from NHB stating that availment of ECB for financing prospective owners of individual unit is for low cost affordable housing.

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