While Basel I framework was confined to the prescription of only minimum capital requirements for banks, the Basel II framework expands this approach not only to capture certain additional risks in the minimum capital ratio but also includes two additional areas, viz. Supervisory Review Process and Market Discipline through increased disclosure requirements for banks. The main purpose of Basel II framework is to create an international standard that banking regulators can use when creating regulations about how much capital banks need to put aside to guard against the types of financial and operational risks banks face while maintaining sufficient consistency so that this does not become a source of competitive inequality amongst internationally active banks. Advocates of Basel II believe that such an international standard can help protect the international financial system from the types of problems that might arise should a major bank or a series of banks collapse. Continue reading
Bank Management
Electronic Cheque Payment System
Electronic cheques address the electronic needs of millions of businesses, which today exchange traditional paper cheques with the other vendors, consumers and government. The e-cheque method was deliberately created to work in much the same way as conventional paper cheque. An account holder will issue an electronic document that contains the name of the financial institution, the payer’s account number, the name of payee and amount of cheque. Most of the information is in uncoded form. Like a paper cheques e-cheques also bear the digital equivalent of signature: a computed number that authenticates the cheque from the owner of the account. Digital chequing payment system seeks to Continue reading
Debt recovery processes followed by Indian Banks
Banks lay down their policy and procedure for collection of past due debts in conformity with the legal and regulatory framework. The banks will in particular, abide by: The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) directives on recovery of debt, including recovery agents engaged by the bank and, The Model Policy on collection of Dues and Repossession of security framed by the Indian Banks’ Association. A bank will normally incorporate its policy and procedure for debt recovery in the arrangement entered into its recovery agents. In terms of the recovery management agreed with the bank, the recovery agents should adhere to the policy, procedure, etc. prescribed by the bank. Debt recovery processes Debt recovery processes can be typically of following kinds, each involving different procedure: Difficult recovery process where the debtors are not willing to pay and who intentionally resist or avoid recovery efforts: The recovery agent has to Continue reading
Core Banking Solutions or Centralised Banking Solutions (CBS)
Core Banking Solutions (CBS) or Centralized Banking Solutions is the process which is completed in a centralized environment i.e. under which the information relating to the customer’s account (i.e. financial dealings, profession, income, family members etc.) is stored in the Central Server of the bank (that is available to all the networked branches) instead of the branch server. Depending upon the size and needs of a bank, it could be for the all the operations or for limited operations. This task is carried through advanced software by making use of the services provided by specialized agencies. Due to its benefits, a no. of banks in India in recent years have taken steps to implement the Core Banking Solutions with a view to build relationship with the customer based on the information captured and offering to the customer, the customized financial products according to their need. Advantages for Customer: Transaction of Continue reading
Functions of Debt Recovery Agents
The core function of a debt recovery agent is to collect dues/receivables from specified debtors of the bank as per agency agreement entered with the principal. Remitting the collected funds to principal, keeping account of the receivables collected and yet to be collected and reporting the position and developments to the principal are essential but ancillary to the core function. All these functions will be specified in most agency agreement and would require to be accordingly discharged by the debt recovery agent. Apart from the easily collectible receivables, most banks have on their books over due receivables from debtors who are not traceable, or who show unwillingness pay or who resist surrendering the security charged. In such cases, the recovery process is difficult and requires handling by specialized collection agencies to process the required expertise. The functions of re-processing the security, initial legal action and tracing Continue reading
Basel Committee On Banking Supervision
The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) was formed in response to the messy liquidation of a Cologne-based bank in 1974. On 26 June 1974, a number of banks had released Deutsche Mark (German Mark) to the Bank Herstatt in exchange for dollar payments deliverable in New York. On account of differences in the time zones, there was a lag in the dollar payment to the counter-party banks, and during this gap, and before the dollar payments could be effected in New York, the Bank Herstatt was liquidated by German regulators. This incident prompted the G-10 nations to form towards the end of 1974, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, under the auspices of the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) located in Basel, Switzerland. The Committee was established to facilitate information sharing and cooperation among bank regulators in major countries. The Basel Committee was constituted by the Central Bank Governors Continue reading