Government extends credit guarantee scheme to 27 sectors

NEW DELHI The government on Thursday said it has extended the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) to the health sector and 26 other sectors identified by the Kamath Committee. The National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited (NCGTC) has issued the operational guidelines for implementation of ECLGS 2.0 scheme, the finance ministry said in a statement.

The scheme was announced by the government earlier this month as part of the Rs 2.65 lakh crore Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0 package.

“Under ECLGS 2.0 entities with outstanding credit above Rs 50 crore and not exceeding Rs 500 crore as on February 29, 2020, which were less than or equal to 30 days past due as on February 29, 2020 are eligible,” the statement said.

The loans provided under ECLGS 2.0 will have a five-year tenor, with a 12-month moratorium on repayment of principal, it said.

“These entities or borrower accounts will be eligible for additional funding up to 20 per cent (which could be fund based or non-fund based or both) of their total outstanding credit (fund based only) as a collateral free Guaranteed Emergency Credit Line (GECL), which would be fully guaranteed by NCGTC,” it added.

In addition to ECLGS 2.0, where no annual turnover ceiling has been prescribed, it has also been decided to extend ECLGS 1.0 to entities under ECLGS which had a total credit outstanding (fund-based only) of up to Rs 50 crore as on February 29, 2020, but were previously ineligible owing to their annual turnover exceeding Rs 250 crore.

All other existing criteria or terms and conditions remain unchanged, it said.

The scheme would be applicable to all loans sanctioned under ECLGS during the period from the date of issue of these guidelines by NCGTC to March 31, 2021 or till guarantees for an amount of Rs 3 lakh crore crore is sanctioned under the ECLGS (taking into account both ECLGS 1.0 and 2.0), whichever is earlier.

The modified scheme, while providing an incentive to Member Lending Institutions (MLIs) to enable availability of additional funding facility to the eligible borrowers, both MSMEs/business enterprises and identified sectors that supports MSMEs, will go a long way in contributing to economic revival, protecting jobs, and create conducive environment for employment generation, it said.

As on November 12, banks and financial institutions had sanctioned Rs 2.05 lakh crore to 61 lakh MSMEs. However, disbursements stood at Rs 1.52 lakh crore.

Some of the sectors identified by the Kamath Committee for one-time debt restructuring included power, construction, real estate, textiles, pharmaceuticals, logistics, cement, auto components and hotel, restaurants and tourism.

The RBI had in August set up the committee headed by former ICICI Bank chairman K V Kamath for suggesting financial parameters to be factored in the resolution plans under the ‘Resolution Framework for Covid-19 related Stress’ along with sector specific benchmark ranges for such parameters.