The Cabinet today approved payment of the face value of the subscribed share capital of ₹ 1450 crore in National Housing Bank(NHB) to Reserve Bank of India (RBl) consequent to amendments made to the NHB Act, 1987 in 2018.

Impact:

NHB is an apex agency established to operate as the principal agency to promote housing finance institutions in India. The wholesale financing role of NHB will get strengthened with the transfer of ownership to Government, thereby making possible augmented funding support to housing finance companies. The change in ownership from RBI to Gol will also segregate RBI's role as banking regulator and as owner of NHB.

Financial Implication

The expenditure of ₹ 1,450 crore is to be met out of Gross Budgetary Support 2018-19. The beneficiaries are the Reserve Bank of India and the Housing Sector.

Background

NHB is an All India Financial Institution(AIFl), set up in 1988, under an Act of Parliament, viz. the National Housing Bank Act, 1987 (Central Act No. 53 of 1987). It is an apex agency established to operate as a principal agency to promote housing finance institutions both at local and regional levels and to provide financial and other support incidental to such institutions and for matters connected therewith. Up till now, the authorized capital of NHB stands at ₹ 2,000 crore of which ₹ 1,450 crore has been subscribed by RBl. Currently, the capital is fully subscribed by RBl. Subsequent to the payment of this amount to RBl, the subscribed capital of NHB shall stand transferred to and vested in the Central Government.

Transfer of ownership of a public housing finance bank strengthens government funding support and separates regulator ownership roles. The Cabinet approved payment of the face value of the subscribed share capital held by the Reserve Bank of India so that the subscribed capital of the National Housing Bank shall transfer to and vest in the Central Government pursuant to amendments to the NHB Act; this transfer strengthens NHB's wholesale financing role and segregates RBI's regulatory function from ownership, with the expenditure met from gross budgetary support and beneficiaries including the housing sector.