RBI directs Banks to make detailed Board approved policy on methodology and periodicity for review/renewal of Credit facilities [Read Circular]

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has directed to make detailed Board approved policy on methodology and periodicity for review/renewal of credit facilities on ad-hoc/short review/renewal of credit facilities of all Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding RRBs), Small Finance Banks and Urban Cooperative Banks.

This circular comes in the wake of an analysis of practices followed by the lenders while reviewing/renewing credit facilities which have brought out certain supervisory concerns, including that of frequent/repeated ad-hoc review/renewal of credit facilities instead of regular review/renewals, non-capturing and/or inaccurate capturing of review/renewal data in the banking/information systems, and non-coverage of review/renewal activities under the concurrent audit/internal audit mechanism.

In terms of a previous circular on Risk Management System in Banks, Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) are required to put in place a board-approved credit policy, which should prescribe the periodicity and methodology of review/renewal of credit facilities. The policy should also prescribe differential time schedules for review/renewal of borrower limits so that lower rated borrowers whose financials show signs of problems are subjected to renewal control more frequently. The Master Circular for Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) on Management of Advances – UCBs dated July 1, 2015, requires all UCBs to lay down policy guidelines for periodic review of the working capital limits.

Further, in terms of the Master Circulars dated July 1, 2015, on Prudential norms on Income Recognition, Asset Classification and Provisioning pertaining to Advances and on Income Recognition, Asset Classification, Provisioning, and Other Related Matters –applicable to SCBs and UCBs respectively, an account where the regular/ad-hoc credit limits have not been reviewed/renewed within the prescribed timeline from the due date/date of Adhoc sanction will be treated as Non-Performing Asset.

Therefore the RBI  has directed the banks to have a detailed Board approved policy on methodology and periodicity for review/renewal of credit facilities within the overall regulatory guidelines, and adhere to the same strictly.

The RBI has emphasized that timely and comprehensive review/renewal of credit facilities should be an integral part of the Board approved loan policy and credit risk management framework, and banks should avoid frequent and repeated Adhoc/short review/renewal of credit facilities without justifiable reasons. Banks are also advised to capture all the data relating to regular as well as ad-hoc/short review/renewal of credit facilities in their core banking systems/management information systems and make the same available for scrutiny as and when required by any audit or inspection by Auditors/RBI. It also said that the processes governing review/renewal of credit facilities should be brought under the scope of concurrent/internal audit/internal control mechanism of banks with immediate effect.