RBI Sub Committee to examine microfinance lending practices

Friday, October 29, 2010, 13:55
Latest News
2 comments

Microfinance Focus, Oct 29, 2010: The Sub-Committee of the Reserve Bank’s Central Board of Directors which is chaired by Y H Malegam will examine the prevalent practices of MFIs in regard to interest rates, lending and recovery practices to identify trends that impinge on borrowers’ interests.

The Sub-Committee was set up after the Board’s October meeting to study issues and concerns in the micro finance sector. It will review the definition of ‘microfinance’ and ‘Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs)’ for the purpose of regulation of non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) undertaking microfinance by the Reserve Bank of India and make appropriate recommendations.

Further, it will delineate the objectives and scope of regulation of NBFCs undertaking microfinance by the Reserve Bank and the regulatory framework needed to achieve those objectives.

Applicability of money lending legislation of the States and other relevant laws to NBFCs/MFIs will also be examined and appropriate recommendations would be made. The role of associations and bodies of MFIs for enhancing transparency disclosure and best practices will be taken up.

The Sub-Committee will recommend grievance redressal machinery that could be put in place for ensuring adherence to the regulations recommended at 3 above.

Conditions under which loans to MFIs can be classified as priority sector lending will be looked at and appropriate recommendations will be made. MFIs currently enjoy priority sector lending status under which they get concessional funds from banks.

The Sub Committee was set up by RBI in order to study recent allegations about high interest rates, coercive recovery processes and multiple lending practised by some microfinance institutions. It was formed after the Andhra Pradesh government issued an ordinance to regulate microfinance institutions in the state.

The Reserve Bank of India regulates only those microfinance institutions which are registered with it as non-banking finance companies. Although the registered companies cover over 80 per cent of the microfinance business, in terms of number of companies they constitute a small percentage of the total number of MFIs in the country. The Reserve Bank, however, does not prescribe lending rates for these institutions.

Other members of the Sub-Committee include, Smt. Shashi Rajagopalan, Shri U R Rao, Shri Kumar Mangalam Birla and Dr. K C Chakrabarty, Deputy Governor. Shri V K Sharma, Executive Director, Reserve Bank of India will be the Member Secretary to the Sub-Committee. The Sub-Committee will submit its report in three months.

Share/Save

Tags: microfinance, RBI, RBI Sub Committee

2 Comments on “RBI Sub Committee to examine microfinance lending practices”

V.Rengarajan wrote on 1 November, 2010, 8:04
An appeal to the sub committee

The sub committee may consider the distinction between Micro Finance Institution (MFI) and Micro Credit institution (MCI). Since the subcommittee would study of concerns about high interest rates, coercive recovery processes and multiple lending practiced by some microfinance institutions, these are all confine4d to micro credit/money lending operations and not much connected to other MF services such as micro savings , micro insurance,transfer services etc. With the same analogy the term MFI covers many apex institutions such as, NABARAD,SIDBI,RMK, and other institutions such as Banks, post office, insurance companies by virtue of their different micro financial services provided by them at different levels to the poor . Further in the case of AP ordinance , recently passed for protecting the poor clients from the coercive practices of MFI , the term MFI is invariably used leading to some ambiguity in the coverage under the term MFI. That is to say when the institution is confined to micro credit/money lending services, let us name them Micro Credit Institution at the field level to make it distinction from other MF service providers. It is therefore suggested to use the term Micro Credit Institution (MCI)invariably in their study as their concerns , stated above, pertain to these MCI only in particular and not necessarily to MFI at large.
This will go a long way in removing the existing ambiguity, in MF arena.Thanks.
Josekutty K.J wrote on 12 April, 2011, 16:56
Fixing of interest rate should be vary from state to state and the level of loan. For the regular monitoring of MFI, MCI create a consortium with the support of local NGOs, Zila Panchayat, NABARD etc.
Thanks