RBI cuts CRR by 100bps, repo rate by 50bps

RBI cuts CRR by 100bps, repo rate by 50bps

After infusing Rs 1,85,000-cr liquidity into the banking system, the RBI today effected yet another 100 basis points cut in cash reserve ratio (CRR) and a 0.5 % reduction in key short-term lending (repo) rate, signaling softening of interest rates to prop up growth.

The one percentage point cut in CRR, the amount which banks have to park with the apex bank, has been brought down to 5.5% to infuse additional liquidity of Rs 40,000 cr into the system. The CRR cut will be in two tranches and the first one of 0.5% will be effective retrospectively from October 25 and the second from November 8.

The RBI also cut the repo rate, the rate at which it lends to banks, by 0.5 per cent to 7.5% with effect from November 3. The central bank has also reduced the statutory liquidity ratio (SLR), the amount which banks are mandated to park in government securities, by 100 basis points to 24%. Welcoming the decision, ICICI Bank Joint Managing Director Chanda Kochhar said, "it will release much needed liquidity into the system and signal reduction in interest rates."
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RBI cuts CRR, SLR and Repo; lending and deposit rates to fall

Mumbai: Home, consumer and corporate loan rates are likely to ease in the near future, with RBI today announcing a slew of monetary measures including a one per cent cut in cash reserve and stautory liquidity ratios besides a 0.5 per cent cut in its short term lending rate. The CRR, the percentage of amount banks are required to keep with the apex bank, has been cut in two tranches of 0.5 per cent effective from October 25 and November 8 to infuse Rs 40,000 crore in to the banking system. The central bank had already cut CRR by 2.5 per cent to 6.5 per cent last month injecting Rs one lakh crore in to the system. With this cut, the apex bank could have injected Rs 1.4 lakh crore through CRR cut which is now pegged at 5.5 per cent. The SLR, which is the amount banks have to keep with the RBI in the form of cash, gold or approved securities, was cut temporarily by one per cent earlier to 24 per cent and this cut has been made permenant effective from Novebmber 8. The RBI also cut its key short term repo rate, the rate at which Reserve Bank lends overnight funds to bank, by 0.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent. Last month repo rate was cut by 1 per cent from 9 per cent to 8 per cent.


With today's measures along with several monetary steps taken last month, the apex bank has so far injected over Rs 2.5 lakh crore in to the system. Hailing the policy measures, bankers today said that they would soon look at reducing their lending and deposit rates in the near future. Economists said the slew of measures would help to prop up growth, particulalry considering that the inflation has started falling drastically on the back of declining global crude oil and other commodity prices.


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Source:ET,BS,BL