August 23,2005
The Chairmen of All Regional Rural Banks
Dear Sir,
Know Your Customer Guidelines – Anti-Money Laundering Standards
Please refer to our circular RPCD.No.RRB.BC.81/03.05.33(E)
/2004-05 dated February 18, 2005 on the above subject. In terms of the above
circular, Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) were advised to formulate a customer acceptance
policy and customer identification procedures to be followed while opening an
account. RRBs were also advised to categorize the customers into low, medium
and high risk according to risk perceived. The 'Know Your Customer' guidelines
also require banks to verify the identity and address of the customer through
documents listed in Annex II to the circular.
2. Although flexibility in the requirements of documents of
identity and proof of address has been provided in the circular mentioned above
yet it has been brought to our notice that a large number of persons especially,
those belonging to low income group both in urban and rural areas are not able
to produce such documents to satisfy the bank about their identity and address.
This would lead to their inability to access the banking services and result
in their financial exclusion. Accordingly, it has been decided to further simplify
the KYC procedure for opening accounts for those persons who intend to keep
balances not exceeding Rs.50, 000 in all their accounts taken together and the
total credits in all the accounts taken together is not expected to exceed Rs.1
lakh in a year.
3. In case a person who wants to open an account is not able
to produce documents mentioned in Annexure II of RBI circular dated February
18, 2005, banks may open accounts as described in paragraph 2 above, subject
to:
a) introduction from another account holder who has been subjected
to full KYC procedure. The introducer's account with the bank should be at least
six month old and should show satisfactory transactions. Photograph of the customer
who proposes to open the account and also his address need to be certified by
the introducer.
or
b) any other evidence as to the identity and address of the
customer to the satisfaction of the bank.
4. While opening accounts as described above, the customer
should be made aware that if at any point of time, the balances in all his/her
accounts with the bank (taken together) exceeds Rs.50,000 or total credits in
the account exceeds Rs.1 lakh, no further transactions will be permitted until
the full KYC procedure is completed. In order not to inconvenience the customer,
the bank must notify the customer when the balance reaches Rs.40,000 or the
total credit in a year reaches Rs.80,000 that appropriate documents for conducting
the KYC must be submitted otherwise the operations in the account will be stopped
when the total balance in all the accounts taken together exceed Rs.50,000 or
the total credits in the accounts exceeds Rs.1 lakh in a year.
5. In terms of our circular DBOD.No.AML.BC.23/14.01.064/2005-06
dated August 2, 2005, addressed to the Chief Executives of Scheduled Commercial
Banks including RRBs, banks were advised to open accounts with reduced KYC standards
in respect of persons affected by floods to enable them to credit the grant
received from the Government. These accounts shall also be treated at par with
the accounts opened in terms of this circular. However, the maximum balance
in such accounts may be permitted to the extent of grant received from the Government
or Rs.50,000 whichever is more and the initial credit of the grant amount shall
not be counted towards the total credit.
6. Banks are advised to issue suitable instructions to their
branches for immediate implementation in this regard.
7. The contents of this circular may be placed before the Board
of your bank.
8. Please acknowledge receipt to our Regional Office concerned.
Yours faithfully,
(C.S.Murthy)
Chief General Manager In-Charge