Executive Summary:
This document from the Reserve Bank of India announces the Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2018-19, outlining the terms and conditions for issuance. The scheme includes multiple series with specific subscription and issuance dates detailed for Series II through VI. It covers eligibility, denomination, interest rate, redemption, and other key features of the bonds.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Eligibility and Form:**
* Bonds can be held by resident individuals, Trusts, HUFs, Charitable Institutions, and Universities.
* Issued as Government of India Stock, with a Holding Certificate (Form C) provided to investors.
* Eligible for conversion into demat form.
* **Denomination, Issue Price, and Subscription:**
* Denominated in units of one gram of gold and multiples thereof.
* Minimum investment is one gram.
* Maximum subscription limit: 4 kg for individuals and HUFs, 20 kg for trusts and similar entities per fiscal year.
* Issue price based on the average closing price of gold (999 purity) published by the India Bullion and Jewelers Association Limited for the last 3 working days of the week preceding the subscription period.
* Online applicants paying through digital mode receive a discount of ₹50 per gram.
* **Interest and Maturity:**
* Interest rate: 2.50 percent fixed rate per annum, paid semi-annually.
* Maturity: 8 years from the date of issue.
* Premature redemption is permitted from the fifth year on interest payment dates.
* **Subscription Calendar:**
* Series II: Subscription (October 15-19, 2018), Issuance (October 23, 2018)
* Series III: Subscription (November 05-09, 2018), Issuance (November 13, 2018)
* Series IV: Subscription (December 24-28, 2018), Issuance (January 01, 2019)
* Series V: Subscription (January 14-18, 2019), Issuance (January 22, 2019)
* Series VI: Subscription (February 04-08, 2019), Issuance (February 12, 2019)
* **Payment and Receiving Offices:**
* Payment accepted via cash (up to ₹20,000), Demand Draft, Cheque, or Electronic banking.
* Applications are received by Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding RRBs), designated Post Offices, SHCIL, and recognized stock exchanges.
* **Redemption and Repayment:**
* Redemption price based on the average closing price of gold (999 purity) published by the India Bullion and Jewelers Association Limited for the previous 3 working days.
* RBI Depository informs investors of the maturity date one month prior.
* **Other Provisions:**
* Bonds can be used as collateral for loans.
* Interest is taxable; capital gains tax on redemption for individuals is exempted. Indexation benefits apply to long-term capital gains on transfer.
* Subscription via Form A with PAN Number.
* Nomination and transfer follow Government Securities Act, 2006, and Regulations, 2007.
* Bonds are tradable as notified by RBI.
* Commission for mobilizing subscription is Rupee one per hundred of the total subscription.
Impact Analysis:
* **Investors:**
* Impact: Opportunity to invest in gold in dematerialized form with a fixed interest rate and potential for capital appreciation. Subject to taxation on interest earned.
* Action Required: Subscribe to the bonds during the specified subscription periods using Form A and provide PAN details.
* **Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding RRBs), Designated Post Offices, SHCIL, and Recognized Stock Exchanges:**
* Impact: Act as receiving offices for applications and are responsible for mobilizing subscriptions.
* Action Required: Accept applications for the bonds, ensure proper documentation, and share commissions with agents/sub-agents.
* **Lending Banks/Institutions:**
* Impact: Bonds can be used as collateral for loans.
* Action Required: Establish Loan to Value ratio for gold loans and mark lien on bonds in the depository.
Key Entities Referenced
Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2018-19: A scheme announced by the Government of India for investment in gold bonds.
Reserve Bank of India: The central bank of India, responsible for issuing operational guidelines related to the Sovereign Gold Bonds.
Government of India: The issuer of the Sovereign Gold Bonds, as stated in the notification.
Scheduled Commercial Banks: Banks (excluding RRBs) authorized to receive applications for the Sovereign Gold Bonds.
Stock Holding Corporation of India Ltd. (SHCIL): An entity authorized to receive applications for the Sovereign Gold Bonds.
National Stock Exchange of India Ltd.: A recognized stock exchange authorized to receive applications for the Sovereign Gold Bonds.
Bombay Stock Exchange Ltd.: A recognized stock exchange authorized to receive applications for the Sovereign Gold Bonds.
Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999: Indian legislation relevant to the eligibility for investment, specifically defining 'person resident in India'.
भारतीय �रज़व र् बक�
RESERVE BANK OF INDIA
____________________ ______________________
www.rbi.org.in
RBI/2018-19/57
IDMD.CDD.No.821/14.04.050/2018-19 October 08, 2018
The Chairman & Managing Director
All Scheduled Commercial Banks,
(Excluding RRBs)
Designated Post Offices
Stock Holding Corporation of India Ltd. (SHCIL)
National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. & Bombay Stock Exchange Ltd.
Dear Sir/Madam,
Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2018-19
Government of India has vide its Notification F.No. 4(22)-W&M/2018 dated October 08,
2018 announced the Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2018-19 (“the Bonds”). Under the
scheme there will be a distinct series (starting from Series II) for every tranche which
will be indicated on the Bond issued to the investor. The Government of India may, with
prior notice, close the Scheme before the specified period. The terms and conditions of
the issuance of the Bonds shall be as follows:
1. Eligibility for Investment:
The Bonds under this Scheme may be held by a person resident in India, being an
individual, in his capacity as such individual, or on behalf of minor child, or jointly with any
other individual. The bond may also be held by a Trust, HUFs, Charitable Institution and
University. “Person resident in India” is defined under section 2(v) read with section 2(u)
of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999
2. Form of Security
The Bonds shall be issued in the form of Government of India Stock in accordance with
section 3 of the Government Securities Act, 2006. The investors will be issued a
Holding Certificate (Form C). The Bonds shall be eligible for conversion into de-mat
form.
आंत�रक ऋण �बंध िवभाग, क��ीय कायार्लय, क��ीय कायार्लय भवन , शहीद भगत�सहं मागर् 23 वी मंिजल, मुंबई – 400 001, भारत
फोन : (022) 2266 1602-04, फैक्स : (022) 22644158, 2270 5125, ई-मेल :cgmidmd@rbi.org.in
Internal Debt Management Department, Central Office, Central Office Building, 23rdFloor, ShahidBhagat Singh Marg,, Mumbai-400 001, India
Telephone:02222661602-04,Fax :( 022) 2264 4158, 2270 5125,Email :cgmidmd@rbi.org.in
िहन्दी आसान हइै सका �योग बढ़ाइए। ,
चेतावनी :�रज़वर् ब�क �ारा ईमेल, डाक, एसएमएस या फोन काल के ज�रये �कसी क� भी �ि�गत जानकारी जैसे ब�क खाते का ब्यौरा, पासवडर् आ�द नह� मांगी जाती है।
यह धन रखने या देने का �स्ताव भी नह� करता ह।ै ऐसे �स्ताव� का �कसी भी तरीके से जवाब मत दीिजये।
Caution: RBI never sends emails, SMSs or makes calls asking forpersonal information like bank account details, passwords, etc. It never keeps or
offers funds to anyone. Please do not respond in any manner to such offers.3. Date of Issue
For the applications received during a given week, the bond shall be issued on the
second business day of next week.
4. Denomination
The Bonds shall be denominated in units of one gram of gold and multiples thereof.
Minimum investment in the Bonds shall be one gram with a maximum limit of
subscription of 4 kg for individuals, 4 kg for Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) and 20 kg for
trusts and similar entities notified by the government from time to time per fiscal year
(April – March),
provided that
i. in case of joint holding, the above limits shall be applicable to the first applicant
only;
ii. annual ceiling will include bonds subscribed under different tranches during
initial issuance by Government and those purchased from the secondary
market; and
iii. the ceiling on investment will not include the holdings as collateral by banks
and other Financial Institutions.
5. Issue Price
The nominal value of the Bonds shall be fixed in Indian Rupees fixed on the basis of
simple average of closing price of gold of 999 purity published by the India Bullion and
Jewelers Association Limited for the last 3 working days of the week preceding the
subscription period. The issue price of the Gold Bonds will be ` 50 per gram less
than the nominal value to those investors applying online and the payment against
the application is made through digital mode.
6. Period of subscription.-
The Subscription of the Gold Bonds under this Scheme shall be open as specified in
Section 7 below.
Provided that the Central Government may, with prior notice, close the Scheme at any
time before the period specified above
Page | 27. Calendar of Issuance.-
S.No. Tranche Date of Subscription Date of Issuance
1 2018-19 Series II October 15-19, 2018 October 23, 2018
2 2018-19 Series III November 05-09, 2018 November 13, 2018
3 2018-19 Series IV December 24-28, 2018 January 01, 2019
4 2018-19 Series V January 14–18, 2019 January 22, 2019
5 2018-19 Series VI February 04-08, 2019 February 12, 2019
8. Interest
The Bonds shall bear interest from the date of issue at the rate of 2.50 percent (fixed
rate) per annum on the nominal value. Interest shall be paid in half-yearly rests
and the last interest shall be payable on maturity along with the principal.
9. Receiving Offices
Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding RRBs), designated Post Offices (as may be
notified), Stock Holding Corporation of India Ltd (SHCIL) and recognized stock
exchanges viz., National Stock Exchange of India Limited and Bombay Stock Exchange
Ltd. are authorized to receive applications for the Bonds either directly or through
agents.
10. Payment Options
Payment shall be accepted in Indian Rupees through cash up to a maximum of
` 20,000/- or Demand Drafts or Cheque or Electronic banking. Where payment is made
through cheque or demand draft, the same shall be drawn in favour of receiving office.
11. Redemption
i) The Bonds shall be repayable on the expiration of eight years from the date of
issue of the Bonds. Pre-mature redemption of the Bond is permitted from fifth year of
the date of issue on the interest payment dates.
ii) The redemption price shall be fixed in Indian Rupees and the redemption price
shall be based on simple average of closing price of gold of 999 purity of the previous 3
working days, published by the India Bullion and Jewelers Association Limited.
Page | 312. Repayment
RBI/depository shall inform the investor of the date of maturity of the Bond one month
before its maturity.
13. Eligibility for Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR)
Bonds acquired by the banks through the process of invoking lien/hypothecation/pledge
alone shall be counted towards Statutory Liquidity Ratio.
14. Loan against Bonds
The Bonds may be used as collateral for loans. The Loan to Value ratio will be as
applicable to ordinary gold loan mandated by the RBI from time to time. The lien on the
Bonds shall be marked in the depository by the authorized banks. The loan against SGBs
would be subject to decision of the lending bank/institution, and cannot be inferred as a
matter of right by the SGB holder.
15. Tax Treatment
Interest on the Bonds shall be taxable as per the provisions of the Income-tax Act,
1961. The capital gains tax arising on redemption of SGB to an individual has been
exempted. The indexation benefits will be provided to long term capital gains arising to
any person on transfer of bond
16. Applications
Subscription for the Bonds may be made in the prescribed application form (Form ‘A’)
or in any other form as near as thereto stating clearly the grams of gold and the full
name and address of the applicant. Every application must be accompanied by the
‘PAN Number’ issued by the Income Tax Department to the investor(s). The receiving
office shall issue an acknowledgment receipt in Form ‘B’ to the applicant.
17. Nomination
Nomination of and its cancellation shall be made in Form ‘D’ and Form ‘E’, respectively,
in accordance with the provisions of the Government Securities Act, 2006 (38 of 2006)
and the Government Securities Regulations, 2007, published in part III, Section 4 of the
Gazette of India dated December 1, 2007. An individual Non - resident Indian may get
the security transferred in his name on account of his being a nominee of a deceased
investor provided that:
i. the Non-Resident investor shall need to hold the security till early redemption or
till maturity; and
ii. the interest and maturity proceeds of the investment shall not be repatriable.
Page | 418. Transferability
The Bonds shall be transferable by execution of an Instrument of transfer as in Form
‘F’, in accordance with the provisions of the Government Securities Act, 2006 (38 of
2006) and the Government Securities Regulations, 2007, published in part III, Section 4
of the Gazette of India dated December 1, 2007.
19. Tradability of bonds
The Bonds shall be eligible for trading from such date as may be notified by the
Reserve Bank of India.
20. Commission for mobilizing subscription
Commission for mobilizing subscription shall be paid at the rate of Rupee one per
hundred of the total subscription received by the receiving offices on the applications
received and receiving offices shall share at least 50% of the commission so received
with the agents or sub-agents for the business procured through them.
21. All other terms and conditions specified in the notification of Government of
India in the Ministry of Finance (Department of Economic Affairs) vide number F.
No.4(2) W&M/2018, dated 27th March 2018 shall apply to the Bonds.
22. Operational guidelines relating to Sovereign Gold Bonds are issued vide circular
IDMD.CDD.No.822/14.04.050/2018-19 dated October 08, 2018.
Yours faithfully,
Sd/
(Shyni Sunil)
Deputy General Manager
Encls.: As above.
Page | 5