These actions on the 3 entities are based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance
FinTech BizNews Service
Mumbai, May 11, 2024: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by separate orders in May 2024, imposed a monetary penalty on one MFI, one HFC and one DCCB. These actions on these 3 entities are based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance, as per the press releases issued by the RBI on May 9 and May 10, 2024.
RBI has imposed monetary penalty on Belstar Microfinance, Sundaram Home Finance and Thoothukudi District Central Co-operative Bank.
1 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated May 9, 2024, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs3,10,000/- (Rupees Three lakh Ten thousand only) on Belstar Microfinance Limited (the company) for non-compliance with certain provisions of the Reserve Bank of India (Know Your Customer (KYC)) Direction, 2016, issued by RBI. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 58G read with clause (aa) of sub-section (5) of section 58B of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
The statutory inspection of the company was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2022. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with regulatory directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the company advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions.
After considering the company’s reply to the notice, oral submissions made during the personal hearing and examination of additional submissions made by it, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the company was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty. The company outsourced decision-making functions of determining compliance with KYC norms to certain outsourced agents.
This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the company with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the company.
2 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated May 09, 2024, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs1,50,000/- (Rupees One Lakh Fifty Thousand only) on Sundaram Home Finance Limited (the company) for non-compliance with certain provisions of the ‘Reserve Bank of India (Know Your Customer (KYC)) Direction, 2016’ issued by RBI. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI conferred under section 52A of the National Housing Bank Act, 1987.
The statutory inspection of the company was conducted by the National Housing Bank with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2022. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the company advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions.
After considering the company’s reply to the notice, oral submissions made during the personal hearing and examination of additional submissions made by it, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the company was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty. The company did not carry out periodic updation of KYC of certain customers within the prescribed periodicity.
This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the company with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the company.
3 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated May 06, 2024, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs50,000/- (Rupees Fifty thousand only) on Thoothukudi District Central Co-operative Bank Ltd., Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu (the bank) for non-compliance with the directions issued by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) on ‘Frauds - Guidelines for Classification, Reporting and Monitoring’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI, conferred under the provisions of section 47A(1)(c) read with sections 46(4) (i) and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by NABARD with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2023. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with NABARD directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions.
After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made by it during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the charge of delay in reporting of fraud to NABARD was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty.
This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.
