RBI gives another blow to banks in its effort to contain rupee volatility

24 Jul 2013 Evaluate

In its constant endeavor to protect the rupee and keep it within 60 mark to dollar, the central bank in its latest effort has made it even harder for lenders to access funds by lowering the amount banks can borrow or lend under its daily liquidity window. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in the last two months has undertaken several measures to contain the volatility in the foreign exchange market.

As per the latest circular of the RBI, the overall limit for access to LAF by each individual bank has been set at the repo rate of 7.25% daily to 0.5% of its own NDTL outstanding as on the last Friday of the second preceding fortnight, coming into effect immediately, i.e., from July 24, 2013 and will remain in force until further notice. For the purpose of arriving at an individual bank’s limit, the NDTL would be the same as being reckoned for the purpose of maintenance of CRR during a reporting fortnight.

Currently, banks are allowed to maintain their Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) prescribed by the RBI on an average daily basis during a reporting fortnight, with a minimum of 70 per cent of the required CRR on a daily basis. Effective from the first day of the next reporting fortnight i.e., from July 27, 2013, banks will be required to maintain a minimum daily CRR balance of 99 per cent of the requirement. CRR, the proportion of net demand and time liabilities that banks are mandated to set aside with the RBI on a fortnightly basis currently stands at 4%.

In another drastic measure, the RBI capped the daily repo borrowing for standalone primary dealers (PDs) to the extent of their net-owned funds effective Wednesday. The overall limit of Rs 75,000 crore, or 1% of total net demand and time liabilities placed last week has also been withdrawn. The RBI also announced issuance of cash management bills of 28 days and 56 days, totalling Rs 3,000 crore each, on July 25.

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