RBI mandates Unique Customer Identification Code for all bank customers

RBI/2011-12/594 DBOD. AML.BC. No.109/14.01.001/2011-12 June 08, 2012 The Chairmen / CEOs of all Scheduled Commercial Banks (Excluding RRBs)/Local Area Banks / All India Financial Institutions Dear Sir, Know Your Customer (KYC)/Anti-Money Laundering (AML)/Combating of Financing of Terrorism (CFT) Guidelines - Unique Customer Identification Code (UCIC) for banks’ customers in India The Reserve Bank of India has been, from time to time, issuing guidelines on KYC/AML/CFT measures. The increasing complexity and volume of financial transactions necessitate that customers do not have multiple identities within a bank, across the banking system and across the financial system. This can be achieved by introducing a unique identification code for each customer. In this regard, a Working Group constituted by the Government of India has proposed the introduction of unique identifiers for customers across different banks and Financial Institutions for setting up a centralized KYC Registry. While setting up such a system for the entire financial system is likely to take quite some time, banks can make an immediate beginning in this regard by having such identification code for their own customers. 2. In this regard, please refer to paragraphs 86 and 87 ( extracts enclosed ) of Monetary Policy Statement 2012-13 announced on April 17, 2012 on Unique Customer Identification Code for banks’ customers in India. While some banks already use UCICs for their customers by providing them a relationship number, etc., other banks have not adopted this practice. Banks are, therefore, advised to initiate steps for allotting UCIC to all their customers while entering into any new relationships for individual customers to begin with. Similarly, existing individual customers may also be allotted unique customer identification code by end-May 2013. 3. The UCIC will help banks to identify customers, track the facilities availed, monitor financial transactions in a holistic manner and enable banks to have a better approach to risk profiling of customers. It would also smoothen banking operations for the customers. Yours faithfully, (Sudha Damodar) Chief General Manager Monetary Policy Statement 2012-13 Unique Customer Identification Code for Banks’ Customers in India 86. Availability of a unique customer identification code (UCIC) will help banks to identify a customer, track the facilities availed, monitor financial transactions in various accounts, improve risk profiling, take a holistic view of customer profile and smoothen banking operations for the customer. While some of the Indian banks have already developed UCIC, there is no unique number to identify a single customer across the organisation in many banks. In this regard, the Government of India has already initiated some measures as a working group constituted by them has proposed the introduction of unique identifiers for customers across different banks and financial institutions. While such a system for the entire financial system is desirable, it is likely to take quite some time for a complete roll out. As a first step, banks are advised: to initiate steps to allot UCIC number to all their customers while entering into any new relationships in the case of all individual customers to begin with. Similarly, existing individual customers may also be allotted unique customer identification code by end-April 2013. 87. Detailed guidelines in this regard will be issued separately.

Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2011-12/594 · issued 08 Jun 2012. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.

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