HomeCirculars › RBI/2005-06/367

UCBs: Risk Weight on LC Bills Revised

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2005-06/367 · issued 19 Apr 2006 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI now treats clean bills discounted under LC as exposure on the LC issuing bank, not the borrower, with inter-bank risk weight. Negotiations 'under reserve' remain borrower exposure with 100% risk weight. Effective immediately.

What changed

Earlier, all bills discounted under LC were treated as exposure on the borrower constituent, attracting 100% risk weight. Now, clean negotiations (not 'under reserve') are treated as exposure on the LC issuing bank with inter-bank risk weight. Negotiations 'under reserve' continue to be treated as borrower exposure.

What it means for you

For UCBs, this reduces capital requirements on clean LC bill purchases since inter-bank risk weights are typically lower than 100%. It shifts credit risk assessment from the borrower to the LC issuing bank. Banks must carefully classify transactions as 'under reserve' or not to apply correct risk weights.

Historical instruction — do not use for current compliance. This is what was required at the time; it no longer reflects current RBI requirements. If no replacement rule is linked above, that only means none is recorded on our register yet — it does not prove no later applicable rule exists. Confirm on the official RBI source below.

What banks were required to do at the time

Who it affects

All Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks, Treasury and credit risk management teams, Branches handling LC discounting and negotiation

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).

What is the key change in risk weight for bills discounted under LC?

Clean negotiations (not 'under reserve') are now treated as exposure on the LC issuing bank with inter-bank risk weight, not on the borrower. Negotiations 'under reserve' still attract borrower risk weight.

Does this circular apply to all UCBs?

Yes, it applies to all Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks as addressed by RBI.

When does this circular take effect?

It came into operation with immediate effect from April 19, 2006.

📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)
Repealed by RBI/2025-26/100 — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
RBI’s words: “Official withdrawal register entry #2679: UBD.(PCB).BPD.Cir.No.46/13.05.000/2005-06 — "Bills Discounted under LC - Risk Weight and Exposure Norms - UCBs" dated April 19, 2006”
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2005-06/367 UBD.(PCB).BPD.Cir No: 46/13.05.000/2005-06 April 19, 2006 The Chief Executive Officers of All Primary (urban) Co-operative Banks Dear Sir/Madam, Bills discounted under LC – Risk Weight and Exposure Norms - UCBs Please refer to our circular UBD.BPD.PCB.cir. 37/13.05.00/2003-04 dated March 16, 2004. In terms of para 2 (iv) of the circular, the credit exposure on account of bills purchased / discounted / negotiated under LCs or otherwise should be reckoned on the bank’s borrower constituent. Accordingly, the exposure should attract a risk weight appropriate to the borrower constituent (viz. 100% for firms, individuals, corporate, etc.) for capital adequacy purposes. 2. The above instructions have been reviewed and it has now been decided that : i. Bills purchased / discounted / negotiated under LC (where the payment to the beneficiary is not made ‘under reserve’) will be treated as an exposure on the LC issuing bank and not on the borrower. ii. All clean negotiations as indicated above in para (i) above, will be assigned the risk weight as is normally applicable to inter-bank exposures, for capital adequacy purposes. iii. In the case of negotiations ‘under reserve’ the exposure should be treated as on the borrower and risk weight assigned accordingly. 3. The above guidelines will come into operation with immediate effect. 4. Please acknowledge receipt to the concerned Regional Office of Reserve Bank of India. Yours faithfully, (N.S.Vishwanathan) Chief General Manager in-Charge
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2005-06/367 · issued 19 Apr 2006. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 05 Aug 2026 · status cross-checked against RBI’s official withdrawal register (refreshed weekly).
Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=2830&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
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