RBI liberalises norms to boost Forex inflows

By Bhalchandra Chorghade, Editor, CNCTimes.com

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has further liberalised norms to boost inflows of foreign exchange, including doubling the borrowing limit under the ECB route, amid the rupee falling against the US dollar. In a statement, the central bank said it has been closely and continuously monitoring the liquidity conditions in the forex market and has stepped in as needed in all its segments to alleviate dollar tightness with the objective of ensuring orderly market functioning.

The measures taken by the central bank comes in the backdrop of rupee depreciating by 4.1 per cent against the US dollar during the current financial year so far amid the ongoing geopolitical tensions. "In order to further diversify and expand the sources of forex funding so as to mitigate volatility and dampen global spillovers", the central bank said it has decided to undertake the measures to enhance forex inflows while ensuring overall macroeconomic and financial stability.

According to the Reserve Bank statement, it has been decided that with effect from the reporting fortnight beginning July 30, 2022 incremental FCNR(B) and NRE deposits with reference base date of July 1, 2022 will be exempt from the maintenance of CRR and SLR. This relaxation will be available for deposits mobilised up to November 4, 2022. Transfers from Non-Resident (Ordinary) (NRO) accounts to NRE accounts shall not qualify for the relaxation.

The central bank has also decided to temporarily permit banks to raise fresh FCNR(B) and NRE deposits without reference to the extant regulations on interest rates, with effect from July 7, 2022. This relaxation will be available for the period up to October 31, 2022.

Further, RBI said investments by FPIs in government securities and corporate debt made till October 31, 2022, will be exempted from this short-term limit. These will not be reckoned for the short-term limit of one year till maturity or sale of such investments. Currently, not more than 30 per cent of investments each in government securities and corporate bonds can have a residual maturity of less than one year.

FPIs will also be provided with a limited window till October 31, 2022, during which they can invest in corporate money market instruments like commercial paper and non-convertible debentures with an original maturity of up to one year. FPIs can continue to stay invested in these instruments till their maturity or sale. These investments will not be included for reckoning the short-term limit for investments in corporate securities.

The central bank has also decided to increase the limit under the automatic route for external commercial borrowing (ECB) from $ 750 million or its equivalent per financial year to $ 1.5 billion. The all-in cost ceiling under the ECB framework is also being raised by 100 basis points, subject to the borrower being of investment grade rating, the RBI said.

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