Accounting rules for primary dealers eased

In a move aimed at improving the demand for government bonds, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has eased accounting rules for standalone primary dealers.

The central bank has, for the first time, allowed these dealers to classify a part of their bond portfolio in the held-to-maturity (HTM) category. Currently, primary dealers are required to keep their entire holdings in trading book and mark the same to market periodically. Under the existing norms, net depreciation is to be provided while ignoring net appreciation.

While the transfer from trading to HTM portfolio has to be done according to a policy formulated by the board of a standalone primary dealer, RBI said that the quantum of securities that can be transferred has been capped at 100 per cent of the paid-up capital. So, if a primary dealer has an equity base of Rs 100 crore, the amount of bond that can be transferred to the HTM category would be limited to Rs 100 crore.

In addition, RBI has stipulated that only bonds purchased through auctions can be classified in the HTM category and secondary market purchases would be ineligible. Further, it said that any gains that accrued from the sale of bonds in the HTM category would be transferred to a reserve account, while the losses could be recognised in the profit-and-loss account.

Besides, transfers to and from HTM would be permitted once a quarter, and the scheme would be in place in March 2010. The RBI move comes in the backdrop of a number of instances when government bonds devolved. In recent weeks, the yield on government securities has gone up in the wake of the Centre planning to raise Rs 4,51,000 crore during the current financial year.

High borrowings are also putting pressure on banks, with some of them facing a situation where they are not left with much headroom in the HTM category. As a result, with yields rising, they are not keen to participate in government bond auctions every Friday. For the moment, RBI has decided against changing the norms for the banks. The move on standalone primary dealers is expected to help improve sentiments, though the overall gain is likely to be less than Rs 2,000 crore.

“With large volumes and auctions every Friday, there may not be enough time to churn the portfolio, and the appetite may be limited fearing risk. But it will now help increase my appetite,” said the head of a primary dealership.