EXTERNAL COMMER- CIAL BORROWINGS (ECB) POLICY - LIBERALISATION

It has been decided to modify some aspects of the ECB policy as indicated below :

• All-in-cost ceilings It has now been decided to dispense with the requirement of all-in-cost ceilings on ECB until June 30, 2009. Accordingly, eligible borrowers, proposing to avail of ECB beyond the permissible all-in-cost ceilings specified above may approach the Reserve Bank under the Approval Route. This relaxation in all-in-cost ceiling will be reviewed in June 2009.
• Integrated Township- permissible end-use  It has now been decided to permit corporates, engaged in the development of integrated township, as defined in Press Note 3 (2002 Series) dated January 04, 2002, issued by DIPP, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India to avail of ECB under the Approval Route. Integrated township, as defined, includes housing, commercial premises, hotels, resorts, city and regional level urban infrastructure facilities such as roads and bridges, mass rapid transit systems and manufacture of building materials. Development of land and providing allied infrastructure forms an integrated part of township's development. The minimum area to be developed should be 100 acres for which norms and standards are to be followed as per local bye-laws / rules. In the absence of such bye-laws/rules, a minimum of two thousand dwelling units for about ten thousand population will need to be developed. The policy will be reviewed in June 2009.
• NBFC- Infrastructure financing  It has now been decided to allow NBFCs, which are exclusively involved in financing of the infrastructure sector, to avail of ECBs from multilateral / regional financial institutions and Government owned development financial institutions for on-lending to the borrowers in the infrastructure sector under the Approval route.
• Hotels, Hospitals and Software sector It has now been decided to permit the corporates in the Hotels, Hospitals and Software sectors to avail of ECB up to USD 100 million per financial year, under the Automatic Route, for foreign currency and / or Rupee capital expenditure for permissible end-use. The proceeds of the ECBs should not be used for acquisition of land.