NEW DELHI: Stock brokers association ANMI has urged the RBI to relax conditions of moratorium imposed against Yes Bank for payments by the private lender's account holders against their outstanding capital market transactions.
The development comes after Yes Bank on Thursday was put under a moratorium, with the RBI capping deposit withdrawals at Rs 50,000 per account for a month and superseding its board.
In a letter written to the central bank on Friday, the Association of National Exchanges Members of India (ANMI) has requested the RBI to consider exempting outstanding capital market transactions wherein a Yes Bank account is involved. The move is aimed at saving investors from defaulting on existing payment obligations.
The brokers' association has also requested the regulator to ring-fence bank guarantees (BGs) and fixed deposit receipts (FDRs) issued by Yes Bank from the consequential effect of moratorium directions, since trading members are having large open positions.
"The RBI decision has a cascading effect on trading members and their clients at large since they may not be able to cover their positions from their own funds. Thus, many Yes Bank clients may face serious financial problems," the letter noted.
In case clients fail to make good of their outstanding payments in both cash and derivatives markets, the brokers will become liable to make the payments. This will place tremendous burden on their resources. Those members whose money is already stuck up with Yes Bank may not make immediate alternative financial arrangements to secure BGs and FDRs to cover their open trading positions.
It also requested the RBI to give comfort to the exchanges in such a manner that they do not impose any haircut against existing FDRs and BGs of Yes Bank deposited with the clearing corporations of stock exchanges prior to March 6.
"The RBI has kept all inter-bank transfers outside the purview of moratorium and hence we submit that similar treatment be given to outstanding capital market commitments where payments are due from Yes Bank account holders," ANMI said.
This assumes significance as SBI Cards and Payment Services' public issue closed on Thursday and now the shares would be allotted, which would require funds to be transferred from the account of investors.
On Friday, two major clearing corporations, NSE Clearing and Indian Clearing Corporation, asked trading members that the existing benefit provided toward BGs and FDRs issued by Yes Bank in favour of the clearing houses would be reduced to 50 per cent by Monday and the remaining 50 per cent by Wednesday.
Clearing Corporations have also decided not to accept proposals of fresh Yes Bank's BG/ FDR or their renewals.
Anmi is an association comprising around 900 stock brokers from across the country that are members of National Stock Exchange, BSE, Multi Commodity Exchange of India and other exchanges having national presence.