| | OMOs better tool to ease liquidity: PMEAC | |
| | Press Trust of India / New Delhi Feb 22, 2012, 20:07 | | | |
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) should buy government bonds from open market rather than use instruments like Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) to infuse liquidity into the system, said the Prime Minister's economic advisory panel.
"In my view Open Market Operations [OMOs] are better instruments [to ensure liquidity in the system]," because it can be timed and calibrated according to the liquidity requirements, Prime Minister Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC) Chairman C Rangarajan said here.
The RBI bought debt of Rs 90,554 crore since November through OMO with an aim to infuse liquidity into the system. Under OMO, the central bank buys or sells government bonds in the open market affecting liquidity situation.
The RBI in its last policy review reduced CRR, the amount the banks are required to maintain with the central bank, by 0.5 percentage point to 5.5% to release Rs 32,000 crore of primary liquidity into the system.
The central bank is expected to take more steps in its policy review on March 15 to ease liquidity situation to promote economic growth which is expected to moderate to 6.9% in the current fiscal from 8.4% a year ago.
On increased market borrowing by the government to fund rising fiscal deficit during 2011-12, Rangarajan said it has crowded out credit for the corporate sector.
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