ICICI Bank raises credit card rates

Hyderabad / Chennai: The monthly recognition card statement that come ups loaded with tons of offers, gift vouchers and summertime trades at this clip of the twelvemonth would normally not have got got more than than a insouciant glimpse from Kelvin Nath. But something caught his attending this time.

There was an unnoticeable line at the underside of the statement that conveyed that his card company (ICICI Depository Financial Institution which have one 3rd share of the market) had increased its involvement rates. The statement said that the charge per unit of involvement on "extended recognition and hard cash advances" was being increased from the current 3.15 per cent per calendar calendar month (45.09 personal computer per annum) to 3.40 per cent per month (49.36 per cent annualised) effectual from June 1, 2008. That's a symptom that something is just not correct with the recognition card industry.

Hiking rates in an industry already known for high rates is a certain mark of troubled times. Most card companies complaint around 2.7 per cent to 2.9 per cent per calendar month or about 36 per cent per annum. Even this have been criticised as being a touching usurious.

For old age now, there have been a uninterrupted clamor for less involvement rates on recognition card spending. That's something that card companies have got resisted, citing high default rates thanks to a combination of mediocre laws, the deficiency of any security and the general clime of bad borrower behaviour.

Default rates across the card industry that were in the 5-7 per cent scope are now dual that, states Shameek Bhargava, Managing Director, Head of Cards, Asia Pacific, Deutsche Bank, India.

NPAs high

Recently, State Depository Financial Institution of Republic Of India admitted that its losings on the recognition card concern were of the order of Rs 150 crore and non acting assets (NPAs) on this portfolio had touched a humongous 16.5 per cent. The jobs had go terrible adequate for SBI to take a firm stand on having the caput of the card company replaced (a germanium money appointee) with one of its ain officers.

It is hard to understand why the recognition card industry should be in this soup, when the economic system have been growing at 9 per cent and there have been a 15 per cent growing in reward and wages for the last three old age at least – not to advert the considerable amount of disbursement on consumer goods, entertainment, grocery stores and travel.

Over-leveraged customers

Bhargava believes that it furuncles down to a figure of highly over-leveraged customers using multiple card game and creating mayhem all around. His solution to undertake the problem: usage more of ain gross sales agents rather than outsource the selling mathematical function to other agencies.

The possibility of borrowers ripping off the system through multiple banks, business relationships and card game was precisely why the Recognition Information Agency of Republic Of India (CIBIL), an federal agency meant for sharing borrower information among lenders, was started a couple of old age ago. But if one travels by these numbers, it would look that loaners have got not made the best usage of resources available.

CIBIL option

A recognition card functionary who did not desire to be named said, "About 80 per cent of owed diligence is being done on their ain by all major banks. A confirmation of information from CIBIL is being taken up on an optional basis. CIBIL may go popular lone three to five old age from now going by the present use."

Meanwhile, there is small hope of any contiguous improvement. Recognition Evaluation federal agency Crisil had prognosis earlier this twelvemonth that the NPA state of affairs in personal loans would decline this fiscal. Recognition card holders, poise up.