RBI rejigs banks’ investment categories
RBI discussion paper issued in January 2022. According to a statement on Tuesday, RBI has removed the 90-day ceiling on holding period of securities under the Held For Trading (HFT) category. According to bankers, this move will result in banks classifying illiquid bonds and state development loans under HFT but this was not the case previously as they were not sure if they could sell these securities within 90 days of acquiring.
Similarly, RBI removed the ceiling on the held-to-maturity (HTM) in lenders’ investment portfolios. At present, banks are allowed to set aside more than 25% of total investments under HTM, provided the investment in government securities to meet the statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) requirement, is capped at 18%. The revised guidelines will be effective from 1 April 2024.
“The directions are expected to enhance the quality of the banks’ financial reporting, improve disclosures, provide a fillip to corporate bond market, facilitate the use of derivatives for hedging, besides strengthening the overall risk management framework of banks," said RBI. RBI also introduced a new category of investment, fair value through profit and loss (FVTPL) account. The existing HFT category will now be part of FVTPL category, according to the revised guidelines.
The investment portfolio of banks will now be divided into three categories: FVTPL, HTM and available for sale (AFS). HFT category was for debt securities purchased by banks with the intent of selling them within a short period. Under FVTPL, debt instruments are measured at fair value through a profit and loss account.
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