Executive Summary:
This Master Direction outlines the Currency Distribution Exchange Scheme (CDES), providing financial incentives to banks for better customer service in exchanging notes and coins, aligning with the Clean Note Policy. Banks can receive incentives for maintaining currency chests, exchanging soiled notes, distributing coins, and installing cash-related service machines. Banks intending to purchase machines or establish currency chests must submit annual plans to RBI Issue Offices by April 15th each year.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Currency Distribution and Exchange Scheme (CDES):** A scheme of incentives to ensure better customer service in note and coin exchange at bank branches.
* **Incentives for Currency Chests:**
* Capital Cost: Reimbursement of 50% (100% in North Eastern region) of capital expenditure, up to ₹50 lakh, for currency chests in under-banked states with populations less than one lakh.
* Revenue Cost: Reimbursement of 50% of revenue expenditure for the first 3 years (5 years in the North Eastern region).
* **Incentives for Exchange of Soiled/Mutilated Notes:**
* ₹2 per packet for exchanging soiled notes over the counter (up to ₹50 denomination).
* ₹2 per piece for adjudicating mutilated notes.
* **Incentives for Coin Distribution:**
* ₹25 per bag for over-the-counter coin distribution.
* Incentives paid based on withdrawal from currency chest.
* Banks must ensure coins are distributed to retail customers in small lots.
* RBI will verify coin distribution via inspections and branch visits.
* **Incentives for Machine Installation:**
* Reimbursement for Cash Recyclers and ATMs dispensing lower denomination notes (up to ₹100).
* Metro/Urban Areas: 50% of actual cost or ₹2,00,000, whichever is lower.
* Semi-urban/Rural Areas: 60% of actual cost or ₹2,50,000, whichever is lower.
* **Operational Guidelines:**
* Incentives for soiled notes are paid based on actual receipts at RBI Issue Offices; no separate claim needed.
* Currency chest branches must pass on incentives to linked branches pro-rata.
* Annual Plans for machine purchases and currency chest establishment must be submitted to RBI Issue Offices by April 15th each year.
* Claims for machine installation incentives must be submitted quarterly to the respective RBI Issue Office through the Link Office, after full payment to vendors.
Impact Analysis:
Banks:
* Impact: Eligible for financial incentives by providing better customer services, establishing/maintaining currency chests, exchanging soiled/mutilated notes, distributing coins, and installing eligible machines.
* Action Required: Implement systems to ensure proper distribution of coins to retail customers. Submit Annual Plans to RBI Issue Offices by April 15th. Submit quarterly claims for machine installation incentives after full payment to vendors. Currency chest branches to pass on incentives to linked branches.
RBI Issue Offices:
* Impact: Responsible for advising the maximum amount of reimbursement permissible to each bank and disbursing incentives.
* Action Required: Review Annual Plans submitted by banks, advise on permissible reimbursement amounts, and process incentive claims. Verify coin distribution through inspections and branch visits.
Members of Public:
* Impact: Expected to receive better customer service regarding the exchange of notes and coins at bank branches.
* Action Required: None.
Key Entities Referenced
RBI Act, 1934: Refers to Section 45 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, which provides the legal basis for the guidelines and instructions issued by the Bank.
Banking Regulation Act, 1949: Refers to Section 35 A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, which empowers the Bank to issue guidelines and instructions.
Clean Note Policy: A policy of the Reserve Bank of India aimed at providing good quality currency notes to the public.
Currency Distribution Exchange Scheme CDES: A scheme formulated by the Bank to incentivize bank branches to provide better customer service with regard to exchange of notes and coins.
North Eastern region: A region of India that receives special consideration under the Currency Distribution Exchange Scheme (CDES), with higher reimbursement rates for capital and revenue expenditures related to currency chests.
RBI Regional Offices: The regional offices of the Reserve Bank of India, responsible for verifying the distribution of coins by banks through inspections of currency chests and incognito visits to branches.
Issue Office of the RBI: The specific department within the Reserve Bank of India responsible for handling soiled notes and adjudicated notes, as well as processing claims for incentives related to the Currency Distribution Exchange Scheme (CDES).
Cash Recyclers: Automated machines that accept, validate, and dispense cash, and are eligible for reimbursement under the Currency Distribution Exchange Scheme (CDES) to promote cash-related retail services.
RBI/DCM/2016-17/36
Master Direction DCM (CC) No.G-4/03.41.01/2016-17 July 20, 2016
The Chairman and Managing Director /
Chief Executive Officers,
All Banks
Madam / Dear Sir,
Master Direction on Currency Distribution & Exchange Scheme (CDES) based on
performance in rendering customer service to the members of public
In terms of the Preamble and under Section 45 of the RBI Act, 1934, and 35 A of the
Banking Regulation Act, 1949, the Bank issues guidelines / instructions for realising the
objectives of our Clean Note Policy. With a view to sustain these objectives, the Bank
has formulated a scheme of incentives titled Currency Distribution and Exchange
Scheme (CDES) in order to ensure that all bank branches provide better customer
services to member of public.
2. The Master Direction enclosed incorporates updated guidelines / circulars on the
subject. The Direction will be updated from time to time as and when fresh instructions
are issued.
3. This Master Direction has been placed on RBI website at www.rbi.org.in.
Yours faithfully,
(P. Vijaya Kumar)
Chief General Manager
Encl : As aboveAnnex
1. Introduction –
The Currency Distribution & Exchange Scheme (CDES) for bank branches including
currency chests has been formulated in order to ensure that all bank branches provide
better customer service to members of public with regard to exchange of notes and coins,
in keeping with the objectives of Clean Note Policy.
2. Incentives
As per the scheme, banks are eligible for the following financial incentives for providing
facilities for exchange of notes and coins:
Sr. Nature of Service Particulars of Incentives
No.
i) Opening of and maintaining a. Capital Cost: Reimbursement of
currency chests at centers 50% of capital expenditure subject to
having population of less than 1 a ceiling of ` 50 lakh per currency
lakh in under banked States chest. In the North Eastern region
up to 100% of capital expenditure is
eligible for reimbursement subject to
th e ceiling of ` 50 lakh.
b. Revenue cost: Reimbursement of
50% of revenue expenditure for the
first 3 years. In the North Eastern
region 50% of revenue expenditure
will be reimbursed for the first 5
years.
ii) Exchange of soiled notes/ a. Exchange of soiled notes – ` 2
adjudication of mutilated per packet for exchange of soiled
banknotes over the counter at notes up to denomination ` 50
bank branches
b. Adjudication of mutilated
note s – ` 2 per piece
1iii) Distribution of coins over counter i. ` 25 per bag for distribution of coins
over the counter.
ii. The incentives would be paid on the
basis of withdrawal from currency
chest, without waiting for claims from
banks.
iii. Banks may put in place a system of
checks and balances to ensure that
coins are distributed to retail customers
in small lots and not to bulk customers.
iv. The distribution of coins shall be
verified by RBI Regional Offices
through inspection of currency chest /
incognito visits to branches etc.
iv) Installation of Machines which The maximum amount of reimbursement
extend cash related retail for the machines will be as follows –
services to the public like –
For Metro / Urban areas –
1. Cash Recyclers;
2. ATMs dispensing lower
1. Cash Recyclers – 50% of the actual
denomination notes (i.e.
cost of the machine or ` 2,00,000
up to denomination ` 100)
whichever is lower
Note - ATMs distributing higher
2. ATMs dispensing lower denomination
denominations of ` 500 and
notes (up to denomination ` 100) –
above are not eligible for this
50% of the actual cost of the machine
reimbursement
or ` 2,00,000 whichever is lower
For Semi-urban / Rural areas –
1. Cash Recyclers – 60% of the actual
cost of the machine or ` 2,50,000
whichever is lower
2. ATMs dispensing lower denomination
notes (up to denomination ` 100) –
60% of the actual cost of the machine
or ` 2,50,000 whichever is lower
23. Operational Guidelines to avail the incentives -
3.1 Performance based incentives -
i) The incentives will be paid on the soiled notes actually received in the Issue Office
of the RBI. Banks need not submit a separate claim in this regard. Currency chest
branch will have to pass on the incentive to the linked branches for the soiled notes
tendered by them on a pro-rata basis.
ii) Similarly, incentive will be paid in respect of the adjudicated notes received along
with the soiled note remittances / sent separately by registered / insured post in a sealed
cover to the RBI. No separate claim is required to be made.
3.2 Incentives for installation of machines
i) The banks intending to purchase various machines as also establish currency
chests during the period from July 01st to June 30th of a year, may submit their Annual
Plans containing the details of the machines and the cost, to our Issue Offices latest by
April 15 of every year on an ongoing basis. Our Issue offices, on receipt of the plans, may
advise the maximum amount of reimbursement permissible to each bank for that year.
ii) The claims for incentives for installation of Cash Recyclers and ATMs dispensing
lower denomination notes should be submitted to the respective Issue Office of RBI on
quarterly basis within 30 days from the close of the respective quarter through the Link
Office of the bank concerned. Such claims may however be submitted only after full
payment is made to the vendors for the machines.
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