Reserve ratios need to come down: D Subbarao

13 Aug 2013 Evaluate

Outgoing Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor D Subbarao, who earlier has opposed bankers' call to further trim the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) or pay interest on these deposits, and cut Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR), now acknowledging the need of demand has said ‘perhaps’, there is a need to reduce these rates.

However, quickly to its defense, the governor, added “RBI has ‘progressively’ brought down mandatory ratios on both CRR, or the portion of deposits banks park with RBI as a solvency buffer, and SLR, another solvency tool under, which banks have to subscribe to government bonds and other liquid assets, over the years”.

CRR, the amount of cash lenders must deposit with the RBI, currently stands at a record low of 4%, while SLR, which includes securities such as government bonds, stands at 23%.

RBI in a bid to curb the depreciation of rupee, has recently tightened monetary conditions by raising short-term interest rates and draining cash, but the currency has weakened nonetheless, sparking concerns the central bank would need to either raise the CRR or raise the key repo rate.

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