The Current Account Menace: Banks Brazenly Freezing or Closing Customer Accounts Citing RBI Circular

Moneylife Digital Team 30 July 2021

As if the pains caused by the coronavirus (COVID) pandemic were not enough for businesses, banks from across the country are either freezing or closing current accounts of customers.

Banks are citing a circular issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in August 2020 titled 'Opening of Current Accounts by Banks - Need for Discipline'. More shockingly, many banks are freezing or closing current accounts stating that the customer has availed cash credit (CC) or overdraft (OD) facilities from some other bank and, hence, it needs to close the account.

Many businesses and organisations have been raising the issue with the RBI since August last year; but, so far, there is no respite. For example, the All-India Transporters Welfare Association (AITWA) sent a letter to RBI on 15 December 2020 and followed it up with an email on 15 July 2021, highlighting the issues being faced by truckers from across the country.

AITWA says road transport is a geographically spread business and has offices and personnel stationed in many locations for operations. All such branch offices have bank accounts to manage the day-to-day expenses of the branch such as advances to truck drivers for food, labour expenses, minor repairs and fuel.

"But with the RBI circular to close current accounts if a business has a cash credit (CC) or overdraft (OD) facilities, this is leading to the abrupt closure of bank accounts across all public and private sector banks. Businesses are stranded as suddenly their incoming payments get delayed and there is no way to pay their branches," says Abhishek Gupta, joint secretary of AITWA.

Mr Gupta from Prakash Parcel Services Ltd is also chairman of the banking & GST (goods and services tax) committee at the Bombay Goods Transport Association (BGTA).

We also came across a communication sent by Yes Bank to one of its customers that asks the customer to either avail CC or OD facility from the bank or else it would impose restrictions.

The communication from Yes Bank states, "...we have reviewed the status of all our customer relationships and during that exercise, we noticed that although you are not availing any credit facilities from YES Bank in the form of CC/OD or otherwise, you are availing credit facilities from other banks. Your account status with the bank, therefore, does not strictly fall under the stipulated criteria, as mentioned in the RBI guidelines..."

Many people are venting their anger on social media. One Praveen Malik says, "I being a reputed current account holder, Axis Bank put a freeze on my account stating the norms of central government that a company can operate only one account, either current or limit account."

Poor management & conduct of @AxisBank
I being a reputed Current account holder bank put a freeze on my account stating the norms of central Govt that a company can operate only one account either current or limit account,for which I have shared all the docs @RBI @minmsme #UE
— Praveen Malik (@Praveenmalik86) July 29, 2021

There are many posts highlighting issues being faced by customers who have current accounts in banks.

@ICICIBank @ICICIBank_Care @FinMinIndia - Our current account in Virar Branch is frozen despite following all instructions sent by ICICI team. This has impacted our business for past six days. We are told that this is being done to comply with @RBI guidelines. pic.twitter.com/zhonPePgs0
— Rajesh Naik (@naikraje) July 29, 2021

@RBI, @ICICIBank has blocked our current account without giving any valid reasons and locking our . We are going thru an ordeal which no one at the bank responds. Our business is standstill and we request your immediate intervention. is @ICICIBank failing? https://t.co/95K5eLlKKK
— Kanthanathan (@kanthanathans) July 28, 2021

@RBI @RBIsays @nsitharamanoffc @nsitharaman Closing Current account those has OD / CC account in bank is Bad Decision as a MSME facing bigger problems in Customs, Income Tax, and many more please consider our suggestions prior making Rules
— Vikram Talsania (@srlamproducts) July 29, 2021

@TheOfficialSBI My dad hold an current account with SBI, he was called today to branch and asked open an Savings account, staff told that if new Savings account is not opened in SBI vpuram Branch Hyderbad, then Current account will be freezed. Is this new RBI rule.
— CASuneelPerumalla (@suneelperumalla) July 27, 2021

RBI restricted the current account operations for CC/OD customers. But heavy charges and limitations are imposed by banks for these CC/OD accounts. Even for RTGS transactions done through online mode, cash remittance, etc high charges are debited. @RBI @FinMinIndia @canarabank
— Ezhilarasan (@ezhilarasan_dr) July 23, 2021

@canarabank Being your customer for the last 25 years plus disabling the current account as per new RBI guidelines of single account is to be done with a proper time frame to facilitate our credit and debit transactions.This has affected our business as day to day operations.
— GANESH NATARAJ (@GANESHNATARAJ2) July 24, 2021

@RBI All banks are crazily closing or freezing the current account of the business, without realising the consequences of negotiable instrument act .In the event any issued cheques are dishonoured because of the said action, who will take the responsibility, RBI or Bank.
Pls repl
— Rakesh Sharma (@RakeshS72649989) July 27, 2021

In August 2020, RBI issued a circular asking the banks to follow its revised instructions for current accounts. The circular states, "No bank shall open current accounts for customers who have availed credit facilities in the form of CC/ OD from the banking system and all transactions shall be routed through the CC/OD account."

RBI had mentioned four important points in this circular for opening a current account for customers, who have not availed of any CC or OD facilities.

For customers, who have an exposure of Rs50 crore and more, current accounts can only be opened or maintained by the escrow managing bank. "...there is no restriction on the opening of ‘collection accounts’ by lending banks subject to the condition that funds will be remitted from these accounts to the said escrow account at the frequency agreed between the bank and the borrower. Further, the balances in such accounts shall not be used as a margin for availing any non-fund-based credit facilities. While there is no prohibition on the amount or number of credits in ‘collection accounts’, debits in these accounts shall be limited to the purpose of remitting the proceeds to the said escrow account. Non-lending banks shall not open any current account for such borrowers," RBI says.

In the case of borrowers where exposure (sum of sanctioned fund-based and non-fund-based credit facilities) of the banking system is Rs5 crore or more but less than Rs50 crore, there is no restriction on the opening of current accounts by the lending banks. However, RBI says, non-lending banks may open only collection accounts for such customers.

In case of borrowers where exposure of the banking system is less than Rs5 crore, RBI says, banks may open current accounts subject to obtaining an undertaking from such customers to the effect that customers will inform the bank/s when the credit facilities availed by them from the banking system becomes Rs5 crore or more.

"The current account of such customers, as and when the exposure of the banking system becomes Rs5 crore or more and Rs50 crore or more, will be governed by provisions under para (v) (b) and (v) (a) respectively," the circular says.

RBI says banks should monitor all current accounts and CC/ODs regularly, at least on a quarterly basis, specifically with respect to the exposure of the banking system to the borrower, to ensure compliance with these instructions.

Further, banks are asked not to route withdrawal from term loans through current accounts. RBI says, "Since term loans are meant for specific purposes, the funds should be remitted directly to the supplier of goods and services. Expenses incurred by the borrower for day-to-day operations should be routed through CC/OD account if the borrower has a CC/OD account, else through a current account."

From the plain reading of the RBI circular, it appears that the central bank wants to regulate and keep track of all CC and OD facilities availed by customers. It also wants banks to maintain records of bifurcation of the working capital facility into loan component and cash credit component.

However, while doing so, RBI ended up with increasing pains for current account-holders and, for now, there seems to be no respite.

We sent an email to RBI about the issue. However, till writing this article, we have not received any response from the banking regulator. We will update this article as and when we receive any reply from RBI.

Comments

User

david.rasquinha

9 months ago

There is usually another side to the issue. Many corporates grossly misused the ability to operate such multiple current accounts, in order to make a mockery of credit discipline. Banks like YES, Axis, many foreign banks in particular were allowing such current accounts to be misused for collections and transactions opaque to the lending banks. As always, the pity is that some misuse, and the penalty hurts even those who did not misuse.

Tharuun

10 months ago

Useless and harassment system and rule passed by RBI without any awareness of how various businesses operate accounts, and now banks are closing all the accounts unless OD is taken with property put up as a collateral. What a sham. Result of clueless historian babus running Central Banks.

This is demo for businesses - funds frozen in current accounts till whims of pathetic babus are complied with.

prasanna

10 months ago

Customer having 3 different businesses at 3 different places. His current account was frozen by ICICI Bank without giving any intimation. Is this ease of doing business in India?

Kamal Garg

10 months ago

I think the author of this news article has missed the point in the RBI's circular. We Indians have rampantly misused bank loans and bank money for decades with no check, balance and even in many cases, intention of paying money back. If your intention to pay money back is there, then, why would you open accounts in so many banks. With digitalization of entire banking system, you can easily manage your business, even if it is situated in far flung areas of the country.
I think a time has come when even MoneyLife has to weigh the pros and cons of publishing an article before hand, lest its reputation will be harmed as a magazine which just cries foul at every thing happening in the country. Beware of failing reputation - its a vicious cycled menace.

glnprasad52

10 months ago

There may be teething problems and initial difficulties but definitely RBI directive is certainly very good in long run.

dummytg

10 months ago

They are threatening to close the current account even if OD against FD is approved (and OD is never utilised).
Brainless MBA’s in RBI and it’s Advisory.

rameshnair.rcpl

10 months ago

My current account was closed by sbi for no reason .They cited resons which proved to be illogic after the filing of RTI.After so many consultation s nobody is bothered for the MSME.

rameshnair.rcpl

Replied to rameshnair.rcpl comment 10 months ago

Even MONEY LIFE prefer to neglect such issues.Leaving the msme no where

S.SuchindranathAiyer

10 months ago

We have seen right since 2014 that Modi's Babus have no conception of Banking, law, practice, tradition, business or economics other than stupid, illogical ideas which prosper and empower Government at the cost of India. As BJP antagonizes one section after another of the foolish business community which supported Modi, the menace might be self eliminating.