Unregulated Deposits

PIB press release dated 10th July, 2019

Cabinet approves the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2019 

Bill to be introduced in ensuing session of Parliament

Posted On: 10 JUL 2019 6:04PM by PIB Delhi

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2019.  It will replace the banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Ordinance, 2019.

The banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2019 will replace the Ordinance promulgated on 21^stFebruary, 2019, which will otherwise cease to operate after six weeks after reassembly of Parliament. 

Impact

The Bill will help tackle the menace of illicit deposit taking activities in the country, which at present are exploiting regulatory gaps and lack of strict administrative measures to dupe poor and gullible people of their hard-earned savings.

Background

 The banning of Unregulated Deposit Scheme Bill, 2018 was considered by the Lok Sabha in its sitting held on 13^th February, 2019 and after discussion, the same was passed, as amended through the proposed official amendments, as the banning of Unregulated Deposit Scheme Bill, 2019.  However, before the same could be considered and passed in the Rajya Sabha, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die on the same day.

Unregulated Deposits

PIB press release dated 6th February, 2019

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister  Narendra Modi, has given its approval to move official amendments to the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018, pursuant to the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Finance (SCF). The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018 was introduced in Parliament on 18th July, 2018 and was referred to the SCF, which submitted its Seventieth Report on the said Bill to Parliament on 3rd January, 2019. The official amendments will further strengthen the Bill in its objective to effectively tackle the menace of illicit deposit taking activities in the country, and prevent such schemes from duping poor and gullible people of their hard earned savings.

Salient features:

• The Bill contains a substantive banning clause which bans Deposit Takers from promoting, operating, issuing advertisements or accepting deposits in any Unregulated Deposit Scheme. The principle is that the Bill would ban unregulated deposit taking activities altogether, by making them an offence ex-ante rather than the existing legislative-cum-regulatory framework which only comes into effect ex-post with considerable time lags;
• The Bill creates three different types of offences, namely, running of Unregulated Deposit Schemes, fraudulent default in Regulated Deposit Schemes, and wrongful inducement in relation to Unregulated Deposit Schemes.
• The Bill provides for severe punishment and heavy pecuniary fines to act as deterrent.
• The Bill has adequate provisions for disgorgement or repayment of deposits in cases where such schemes nonetheless manage to raise deposits illegally.
• The Bill provides for attachment of properties / assets by the Competent Authority, and subsequent realization of assets for repayment to depositors;
• Clear-cut time lines have been provided for attachment of property and restitution to depositors;
• The Bill enables creation of an online central database, for collection and sharing of information on deposit-taking activities in the country;
• The Bill defines “Deposit Taker” and “Deposit” comprehensively;
• “Deposit Takers” include all possible entities (including individuals) receiving or soliciting deposits, except specific entities such as those incorporated by legislation;
• “Deposit” is defined in such a manner that deposit-takers are restricted from camouflaging public deposits as receipts, and at the same time, not to curb or hinder acceptance of money by an establishment in the ordinary course of its business; and
• Being a comprehensive Union Law, the Bill adopts best practices from State laws, while entrusting the primary responsibility of implementing the provisions of the legislation to the State Governments.

Background:

The Finance Minister in the Budget Speech 2016-17 had announced that a comprehensive Central legislation would be brought in to deal with the menace of illicit deposit taking schemes, as in the recent past, there have been rising instances of people in various parts of the country being defrauded by illicit deposit taking schemes. The worst victims of these schemes are the poor and the financially illiterate, and the operations of such schemes are often spread over many States. As per information provided by RBI, during the period between July, 2014 and May, 2018, 978 cases of unauthorized schemes were discussed in State Level Coordination Committee (SLCC) meetings in various States/UTs and were given to the respective regulators/law enforcement agencies in the states. A large number of such instances have been reported from the eastern part of the country. Subsequently, the  Finance Minister in the Budget Speech 2017-18 had announced that the draft bill to curtail the menace of illicit deposit schemes had been placed in the public domain and would be introduced shortly after its finalisation.

The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018, which was introduced in Parliament on 18th July, 2018 provides a comprehensive legislation to deal with the menace of illicit deposit schemes in the country through, (a) complete prohibition of unregulated deposit taking activity; (b) deterrent punishment for promoting or operating an unregulated deposit taking scheme; (c) stringent punishment for fraudulent default in repayment to depositors; (d) designation of a Competent Authority by the State Government to ensure repayment of deposits in the event of default by a deposit taking establishment; (e) powers and functions of the competent authority including the power to attach assets of a defaulting establishment; (f) Designation of Courts to oversee repayment of depositors and to try offences under the Act; and (g) listing of Regulated Deposit Schemes in the Bill, with a clause enabling the Central Government to expand or prune the list.

Unregulated Deposits

Cabinet approves New Bill to ban Unregulated Deposit Schemes

Posted On: 20 FEB 2018 1:17PM by PIB Delhi

In a major policy initiative to protect the savings of the investors, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval to introduce the following bills in the Parliament:-

(a) Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018 in parliament 

The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given approval to introduce the banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018 in Parliament. The bill is aimed at tackling the menace of illicit deposit taking activities in the country. Companies/ institutions running such schemes exploit existing regulatory gaps and lack of strict administrative measures to dupe poor and gullible people of their hard-earned savings.

Details:

The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018 will provide a comprehensive legislation to deal with the menace of illicit deposit schemes in the country through,

1. complete prohibition of unregulated deposit taking activity;
2. deterrent punishment for promoting or operating an unregulated deposit taking scheme;
3. stringent punishment for fraudulent default in repayment to depositors;
4. designation of a Competent Authority by the State Government to ensure repayment of deposits in the event of default by a deposit taking establishment;
5. powers and functions of the competent authority including the power to attach assets of a defaulting establishment;
6. designation of Courts to oversee repayment of depositors and to try offences under the Act; and
7. listing of Regulated Deposit Schemes in the Bill, with a clause enabling the Central Government to expand or prune the list.

Salient Features:

The salient features of the Bill are as follows:

• The Bill contains a substantive banning clause which bans Deposit Takers from promoting, operating, issuing advertisements or accepting deposits in any Unregulated Deposit Scheme. The principle is that the Bill would ban unregulated deposit taking activities altogether, by making them an offence ex-ante, rather than the existing legislative-cum-regulatory framework which only comes into effect ex-post with considerable time lags.
• The Bill creates three different types of offences, namely, running of Unregulated Deposit Schemes, fraudulent default in Regulated Deposit Schemes, and wrongful inducement in relation to Unregulated Deposit Schemes.
• The Bill provides for severe punishment and heavy pecuniary fines to act as deterrent.
• The Bill has adequate provisions for disgorgement or repayment of deposits in cases where such schemes nonetheless manage to raise deposits illegally.
• The Bill provides for attachment of properties/ assets by the Competent Authority, and subsequent realization of assets for repayment to depositors.
• Clear-cut time   lines   have   been   provided for attachment of property and restitution to depositors.
• The Bill enables creation of an online central database, for collection and sharing of information on deposit taking activities in the country.
• The Bill defines "Deposit Taker" and "Deposit" comprehensively.
• "Deposit Takers" include all possible entities (including individuals) receiving or soliciting  deposits,   except specific  entities  such  as  those  incorporated   by legislation.
• "Deposit" is defined in such a manner that deposit takers are restricted from camouflaging public deposits as receipts, and at the same time not to curb or hinder acceptance of money by an establishment in the ordinary course of its business.
• Being a comprehensive Union law, the Bill adopts best practices from State laws, while entrusting the primary responsibility of implementing the provisions of the legislation to the State Governments.

Background:

The Finance Minister in the Budget Speech 2016-17 had announced that a comprehensive central legislation wouldbe brought in to deal with the menace of illicit deposit taking schemes, as in the recent past, there have been rising instances of people in various parts of the country beingdefrauded by illicit deposit taking schemes. The worst victims of these schemes are the poor and the financially illiterate, and the operations of such schemes are oftenspread over many States. Subsequently, Finance Minister in the Budget Speech 2017-18 had announced that the draft bill to curtail the menace of illicit deposit schemes had been placed in the public domain and would be introduced shortly after its finalization.