RBI eases overseas borrowing norms for dollar-hungry OMCs
Mumbai, Oct 3 : The Reserve Bank India (RBI) on Wednesday relaxed overseas borrowing norms for state-run Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) as rupee continues to slide to new lows for more than a month now.
The RBI relaxed the norm that requires raising External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs) for working capital purposes from direct and indirect equity holders or from a group company with a minimum average maturity of five years.
Public sector OMCs, which require huge amount of foreign currency to import crude oil, can now raise ECBs for working capital purposes with a minimum average maturity of three to five years from all lenders under the automatic route.
"It has been decided, in consultation with the government of India, to liberalise the said provision and permit public sector OMCs to raise ECB for working capital purposes with minimum average maturity period of 3/5 years from all recognized lenders under the automatic route," the RBI said in a notification.
Further, the individual limit of $750 million or equivalent and mandatory hedging requirements as per the ECB framework have also been waived and the overall ceiling for such ECBs has been kept at $10 billion equivalent, with immediate effect.
While the OMCs have been encouraged to raise some of their dollar requirements from abroad, the central bank has asked the OMCs to have a Board-approved forex mark to market procedure and prudent risk management policy for such ECBs.
The notification comes on a day when rupee touched a fresh low and closed at its all-time low of Rs 73.34 per US dollar after Brent crude oil price went over $84 a barrel.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
