Extension of moratorium on Term Loans EMI, deferment of Interest on Working Capital facilities by further 3 months from 01.06.2020 to 31.08.2020
Earlier, RBI on 27th March, 2020 has issued an Statement setting out various developmental and regulatory policies addressing the stress in financial conditions caused by COVID-19 outbreak.
Today, RBI has issued following detailed instructions in this regard:
In view of the extension of lockdown and continuing disruption on account of COVID-19, all commercial banks (including regional rural banks, small finance banks and local area banks), co-operative banks, All-India Financial Institutions, and Non-banking Financial Companies (including housing finance companies) (“lending institutions”) are permitted to extend the moratorium by another three months i.e. from June 1, 2020 to August 31, 2020 on payment of all instalments in respect of term loans (including agricultural term loans, retail and crop loans). Accordingly, the repayment schedule for such loans as also the residual tenor, will be shifted across the board. Interest shall continue to accrue on the outstanding portion of the term loans during the moratorium period.
In respect of working capital facilities sanctioned in the form of cash credit/overdraft (“CC/OD”), lending institutions are permitted to allow a deferment of another three months, from June 1, 2020 to August 31, 2020, on recovery of interest applied in respect of all such facilities. Lending institutions are permitted, at their discretion, to convert the accumulated interest for the deferment period up to August 31, 2020, into a funded interest term loan (FITL) which shall be repayable not later than March 31, 2021.
In respect of working capital facilities sanctioned in the form of CC/OD to borrowers facing stress on account of the economic fallout of the pandemic, lending institutions may, as a one-time measure,
(i) recalculate the ‘drawing power’ by reducing the margins till August 31, 2020. However, in all such cases where such a temporary enhancement in drawing power is considered, the margins shall be restored to the original levels by March 31, 2021; and/or,
(ii) review the working capital sanctioned limits upto March 31, 2021, based on a reassessment of the working capital cycle.
The above measures shall be contingent on the lending institutions satisfying themselves that the same is necessitated on account of the economic fallout from COVID-19. Further, accounts provided relief under these instructions shall be subject to subsequent supervisory review with regard to their justifiability on account of the economic fallout from COVID-19.
The conversion of accumulated interest into FITL, as permitted in terms of paragraph 3 above, and the changes in the credit terms permitted to the borrowers to specifically tide over economic fallout from COVID-19 in terms of paragraph 4 above, will not be treated as concessions granted due to financial difficulty of the borrower, under Paragraph 2 of the Annex to the Reserve Bank of India (Prudential Framework for Resolution of Stressed Assets) Directions, 2019 dated June 7, 2019 (‘Prudential Framework’), and consequently, will not result in asset classification downgrade.
In respect of accounts classified as standard as on February 29, 2020, even if overdue, the moratorium period, wherever granted in respect of term loans, shall be excluded by the lending institutions from the number of days past-due for the purpose of asset classification under the IRAC norms. The asset classification for such accounts shall be determined on the basis of revised due dates and the revised repayment schedule.
Similarly, in respect of working capital facilities sanctioned in the form of cash credit/overdraft (“CC/OD”), where the account is classified as standard, including SMA, as on February 29, 2020, the deferment period, wherever granted in terms of paragraph 3 above shall be excluded for the determination of out of order status.
Earlier, on 27th April. 2020 the following relief was given to the borrowers from the burden of debt repayment due to disruptions on account of COVID-19 pandemic.
All commercial banks (including regional rural banks, small finance banks and local area banks), co-operative banks, all-India Financial Institutions, and NBFCs (including housing finance companies and micro-finance institutions) (“lending institutions”) are being permitted to allow a moratorium of three months on payment of instalments in respect of all term loans outstanding as on March 1, 2020. Accordingly, the repayment schedule and all subsequent due dates, as also the tenor for such loans, may be shifted across the board by three months.
In respect of working capital facilities sanctioned in the form of cash credit/overdraft, lending institutions are being permitted to allow a deferment of three months on payment of interest in respect of all such facilities outstanding as on March 1, 2020. The accumulated interest for the period will be paid after the expiry of the deferment period.
In respect of paragraphs 5 and 6 above, the moratorium/deferment is being provided specifically to enable the borrowers to tide over the economic fallout from COVID-19. Hence, the same will not be treated as change in terms and conditions of loan agreements due to financial difficulty of the borrowers and, consequently, will not result in asset classification downgrade. The lending institutions may accordingly put in place a Board approved policy in this regard.
In respect of working capital facilities sanctioned in the form of cash credit/overdraft, lending institutions may recalculate drawing power by reducing margins and/or by reassessing the working capital cycle for the borrowers. Such changes in credit terms permitted to the borrowers to specifically tide over the economic fallout from COVID-19 will not be treated as concessions granted due to financial difficulties of the borrower, and consequently, will not result in asset classification downgrade.
In respect of paragraphs 5, 6 and 7, the rescheduling of payments will not qualify as a default for the purposes of supervisory reporting and reporting to credit information companies (CICs) by the lending institutions. CICs shall ensure that the actions taken by lending institutions pursuant to the above announcements do not adversely impact the credit history of the beneficiaries.
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