Government Can Dilute Stake to Help PSBs Meet Basel III Norms: RBI

Mumabi: Given its poor fiscal position, the Government will find it difficult to re-capitalise banks to help them meet the Basel III norms, but bringing down its holding to below 51 percent can help tide over the problem, RBI Governor D. Subbarao said.

Noting that both public and private banks together need an additional capital of Rs.5 trillion (Rs.5 lakh crore) to comply with the Basel III regulations, he said, “the Government needs to infuse Rs.90,000 crore into the State-run banks to maintain majority shareholding under the Basel III, which given its precarious fiscal position will be a difficult task.”

The banks would need a total equity capital of Rs.1.75 trillion, and non-equity capital of Rs.3.25 trillion, taking the overall requirement for Basel III to Rs.5 trillion, the Governor told bankers at a FICCI-IBA organised summit here.

“The Government has two options: either to maintain its shareholding at the current level or bring down its shareholding at 51 percent in all the banks across the board,” Subbarao said.

“If the Government wants to maintain its shareholding at the current level (by law it has to hold at least 51 percent in each of its 26 banks), it will have to provide capital to the order of Rs.90,000 crore, (but) if it brings down its shareholding across all public sector banks, the burden reduces to just under Rs.70,000 crore,” he said.

However, Subbarao added, “But will the Government sacrifice its majority shareholding responsibility, rights and obligations or will it amend the statutes such that even if their shareholding comes below 51 percent, it continues to enjoy the privileges of a majority shareholder.”

The amount that the market will have to provide will be Rs.70,000 crore to Rs.1 trillion depending on how much the Government will provide, he said, noting that the market has the capacity to offer this much funds as over the past five years banks have raised equity capital worth Rs.52,000 crore.