What RBI proposal for tighter project finance rules will mean for REC, PFC?

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Anil Gupta, Sr VP & Co-Group Head-Financial Sector Ratings, ICRA, in conversation with ET Now on RBI proposal for tighter project finance rules. Gupta says “given the market reaction, there could be a case where maybe more clarification will emerge as to whether 5% provision requirement is on the entire under-construction portfolio of the lenders or not. Our reading is that it is only for the cases where the project is under construction and has sought a DCCO extension. If that clarification comes, it should not be really negative for the sector because it is only a positive from the balance sheet perspective of the lenders that you are taking care of the risk which has gone up because of DCCO extension. It should not be negative for the credit flow.

Seeing the implication of the RBI proposal for tighter project finance rules play out on the likes of an REC and PFC, gives us a sense of the negative implication for such Anil Gupta: Basically, the regulation which has come out is harmonising the guidelines which were there for banks and NBFCs earlier. For example, today if a project defers its DCCO and that deferment is within a period of two years, the standard asset provisioning norm for a bank is 0.4% and for an NBFC it is 0.25%. Now what this circular is saying is that even if there is a deferment of DCCO within a period of two years, because there have been some deterioration in the project fundamentals, the standard asset provisioning should increase to 5%.

So, this 5% provisioning requirement, which is