Page 14 - Banking Finance July 2021
P. 14

ROUNDUP

         Central Govt questions             The corporate affairs ministry notified  was involved in framing of new
                                            the Companies(Indian Accounting    regulations for the securities market.
         reports on rise in Indians'        Standards) Rules, 2021. The changes  Prior to his elevation, Mohanty was an
         Swiss bank deposit                 have been made after consultations  ED and has also served as a Director
                                            with the National Financial Reporting
         The finance ministry said that there did                              in the erstwhile Forward Markets
         not appear to be "any significant  Authority (NFRA).                  Commission.
         possibility" of an increase in deposits  Under the revised rules, entities are
         from undeclared incomes of Indians.  required to make additional disclosures  Franklin  Templeton
                                            related to interest rate benchmark
         The ministry was reacting to reports  reform. These disclosures are to  Mutual Fund returns Rs.
         which suggested funds of Indians in  enable users of financial statements to
         Swiss banks have risen to over Rs  understand the effect of interest rate  17,777 cr to investors of
         20,700 crore at the end of 2020 from  benchmark reform on an entity's  six schemes
         Rs 6,625 crore at the end of 2019,  financial instruments and risk    Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund (MF)
         reversing a two-year decline. It said  management strategy.           said it has returned Rs 17,777 crore to
         exchange of financial information have                                unit holders of six shuttered debt
         taken place between both countries in  Entities would have to disclose the  schemes till June 15. This amounts to
         2019 and 2020. In view of existing legal  nature and extent of risks to which  71 per cent of assets under
         arrangement for exchange of        they are exposed arising from financial  management (AUM) as on April 23,
         information of financial accounts, there  instruments subject to interest rate  2020, when the fund house shut its six
         does not appear to be any significant  benchmark reform, and how the  debt mutual fund schemes citing
         possibility for increase of deposits in  entities the manage these risks.  redemption pressures and lack of
         Swiss banks which is out of undeclared                                liquidity in the bond market.
         incomes of Indian residents.       Two SEBI whole-time
         It said Swiss authorities have been members get extension             Further, cash to the tune of Rs 580
                                                                               crore was available for distribution as
         requested to provide possible reasons  The Centre has given two-year  on June 15, Franklin Templeton MF said
         for increase/decrease. "Media reports  extension each to two SEBI whole-time  in a statement.
         allude to the fact that the figures  members - Ananta Barua and Santosh
         reported are official figures reported  Kumar Mohanty. This is the first time  The schemes -- Franklin India Low
         by banks to Swiss National Bank and do  that two whole-time members are  Duration Fund, Franklin India Dynamic
         not indicate the quantum of alleged  getting an extension at the same time,  Accrual Fund, Franklin India Credit Risk
         black money... these statistics do not  according to those tracking the market  Fund, Franklin India Short Term Income
         include the money that Indians, NRIs  regulator.                      Plan, Franklin India Ultra Short Bond
         or others might have in Swiss banks in  While Ananta Barua's tenure now  Fund, and Franklin India Income
         the names of third-country entities,"                                 Opportunities Fund -- together had an
                                            stands extended for till July 31, 2023,  estimated Rs 25,000 crore as assets
         the statement said.
                                            that of S K Mohanty has been       under management (AUM).
                                            extended till June 24,2023.
         Rules pertaining to Indian                                            "The schemes have returned Rs
                                            Both Mohanty and Barua were        17,777.59 crore to unit holders
         Accounting Standards               appointed whole-time members in    amounting to 71 per cent of AUM as

         amended                            2018 (April and July, respectively) for a  on April 23, 2020," the fund house
                                            tenure of three years.
         The government has amended rules                                      said.
         pertaining to various Indian Accounting  The Government has in March begun  Under the first disbursement in
         Standards (Ind AS), including those  a futile search for SEBI whole-time  February, investors received Rs 9,122
         related to interest rate benchmark  members as the tenures of Mohanty  crore, while Rs 2,962 crore were paid
         reform. Ind AS are converged with the  and Barua were to end.         to investors during the week of April
         International Financial Reporting  Barua, an Executive Director before  12, Rs 2,489 crore in the week of May
         Standards (IFRS).                  his elevation as whole-time member,  3, and in the latest disbursement

            14 | 2021 | JULY                                                               | BANKING FINANCE
   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19