RBI allows MFIs to fix interest rates

New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday allowed microfinance lenders to fix interest rates on loans with the condition that they should not be useful to borrowers.

A microfinance loan is defined as a collateral-free loan given to a family with an annual income of up to Rs 3 lakh.

The ‘Master Direction Reserve Bank of India (Regulatory Framework for Microfinance Loans) Direction, 2022’ states that every regulated entity (RE) should formulate a board-approved policy with regard to the pricing of microfinance loans.

Earlier, the central bank used to announce rates on a quarterly basis.

“Interest rates and other fees/charges on micro finance loans should not be useful. These will be subject to supervisory scrutiny by the Reserve Bank,” it said.

Also, each RE is required to disclose pricing information to the potential borrower in a standardized simplified factsheet.

“Any charges to be charged from the microfinance borrower by the RE and/or its partner/agent shall be clearly disclosed in the factsheet. No amount shall be charged from the borrower which is not explicitly mentioned in the factsheet,” added this.

The instructions will come into effect from April 1.

Also, there should be no prepayment penalty on microfinance loans.

“The penalty for delayed payment, if any, will be levied on the overdue amount and not on the entire loan amount,” RBI said.

Regarding the limit of loan repayment obligations of a family, it said that each RE should have a board-approved policy regarding the limit of outflow on account of repayment of monthly debt obligations of a family as a percentage of monthly household income .

“This will be subject to a ceiling of maximum 50 per cent of the monthly household income,” it said.

There should also be a standard form of loan agreement for microfinance loans in a language understood by the borrower.

Under the earlier guidelines, an NBFC that does not qualify as a non-banking financial company – microfinance institution (NBFC-MFI), cannot extend microfinance loans of more than 10 per cent of its total assets.

The ceiling on microfinance loans for such NBFCs (NBFCs other than NBFC-MFIs) has now been revised to 25 per cent of the total assets.

In December 2021, RBI had fixed the applicable average base rate to be charged by NBFC-MFIs from their borrowers at 7.89 per cent for the quarter beginning January 1, 2022.

MFIN, the consortium of microfinance institutions has welcomed the harmonized norms for the sector announced by the RBI.

Commenting on the regulation, Alok Mishra, CEO and Director, MFIN, said that the harmonized regulations would herald a new era/start for the microfinance sector where a common regulatory framework would be applicable to all the REs of RBI.

“Apart from creating a level playing field, this framework will address the issues of high credit and multiple borrowings which were of paramount importance to the sector,” Mishra said.

Credit Access Grameen MD and CEO Uday Kumar Hebbar said raising the income limit to Rs 3 lakh will expand market opportunities and removal of interest rate cap will encourage risk-based underwriting.

“This reflects the confidence shown by the central bank in the ability of MFIs to responsibly approach the bottom of the pyramid,” Hebbar said.

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