RBI: Systems and Controls for conduct of government banking

RESERVE BANK OF INDIA
www.rbi.org.in
RBI/2016-17/271
DGBA.GAD.No.2646/31.02.007/2016-17

April 7, 2017

All Agency Banks
Dear Sir/Madam,

Systems and Controls for conduct of government banking

Please refer to our Master Circulars DGBA.GAD.No.2/31.12.010/2015-16 dated July 1, 2015 on Conduct of Government Business by Agency Banks – Payment of Agency Commission and DGBA.GAD.No.H-1/31.05.001/2015-16 dated July 1, 2015 on Disbursement of Government Pension by Agency Banks that, inter alia, deal with Systems and Controls in agency banks for conduct of government banking.

In addition to existing instructions, agency banks may ensure that internal/concurrent audit at bank branches verifies whether government business is being conducted as per rules and regulations prescribed by government/RBI. Accordingly, the internal/concurrent audit at bank branches may also examine, among other things, various aspects of government banking such as agency commission claims and pension payments. A checklist may be provided to the inspecting officers/auditors, which may at a minimum include the items given in the Annex. Accordingly, Annex 2 of the Master Circular DGBA.GAD.No.H-1/31.05.001/2015-16 on Disbursement of Government Pension by Agency Banks dated July 1, 2015 stands withdrawn.

Yours faithfully,

(D. J. Babu)
Deputy General Manager

Annex

Checklist relating to government business for internal / concurrent audit

Part A: Agency commission claims

Internal inspectors/auditors may verify the agency commission claims submitted by branches and confirm their accuracy during the course of their inspection/audit. The following may be specifically examined during the course of internal/concurrent audit at agency bank branches:

The system in place to arrive at total number of transactions is robust and free of errors.
Categorisation of different types of transactions (physical/electronic receipts and pension/non-pension payments) are in accordance with RBI instructions.

Correctness of number of transactions reported in agency commission claims.

Whether agency commission has been claimed on error scroll transactions. (Banks are not eligible for commission on error scrolls as the commission on the original transaction is being paid).

Whether proper records are maintained at branches as regards government business and agency commission claims (wherever the branch has a role in making such claims).

Whether the entries in the registers/printouts relating to agency commission claims are properly authenticated.

Part B: Pension related issues

Internal inspections should assess branch performance in servicing pensioner customers. In this regard, the following may be ensured:

A specific questionnaire covering all aspects of pension payment may be devised for use during inspection of pension paying branches.

Inspecting officers may also, during inspections, call up pensioners at random and enquire about their satisfaction with pension-related services.

A detailed check-list relating to pension payments/government business may be given by banks to internal auditors/inspectors in order to adhere to the recommendations of the Prabhakar Rao Committee, constituted by the Government of India, relating to pension payments/government business.

These include the following:

(a) Whether there is delay in payment of pension, revision of pension, revision in dearness relief etc.
(b) Whether the branch manager has structured interaction with a cross section of pensioners serviced at the branch on quarterly basis, where the number of pensioners of all governments and departments exceeds a fixed number, say, 100 or 200.
(c) Whether nominations have been obtained for all pension accounts.
(d) Whether pension accounts have been converted into joint accounts wherever applicable.
(e) Whether the bank branch has an effective complaint redressal mechanism and the complaints of pensioners are attended promptly and their grievances redressed expeditiously.
(f) Whether the pension is credited to pensioner’s account during the last four working days of the month except for the month of March for which pension is to be credited on or after first working day of April.
(g) Whether the pension paying branch obtains Life Certificate/ Non-employment certificate/ Employment Certificate from the pensioners in the month of November every year.
(h) Whether pension paying branches deduct income tax at source from pension payments wherever applicable.
(i) Whether paper tokens in acknowledgement of cheques presented are invariably given by the tax collecting branches.
(j) Whether the challans are stamped giving bank’s BSR code and Challan Identification Number (CIN) clearly.
(k) Whether the stamped challans are kept in the custody of bank's staff and handed over to the concerned tax payer only on production of the paper token.

Source: www.rbi.org

New Pension Scheme (NPS) v/s Old Pension Scheme

NPS is far beneficial than Government Pension – Comparison of New Pension Scheme (National Pension Scheme) and Central Government Pension 
 
The Central Government employees who have joined after 1/1/2004 and are put under National Pension Scheme (NPS) have been demanding abolition of NPS and have been persuading the Central Government to make the government pension scheme applicable to them.

This only exhibits their ignorance of the fact that the New Pension Scheme is highly lucrative and make the government employees who joined after 1/1/2004 far richer than the government employees who enjoy government pension scheme. By doing so they are in the process of ruining the great fortunes that lies in store under New Pension Scheme. Let me compare both the scheme:

Comparison of New Pension Scheme (National Pension Scheme) and Central Government Pension
 
Benefits under NPS

Let me take a case of Upper Division Clerk(UDC) who joins government service in 2014 at the age of 25 and renders 35 years of service till attaining 60 years of age. He / She gets 3% annual increment every year and gets one promotion every 10 year under M.A.C.P. Although he / she is likely to get 14 to 20% increase in D.A every year as per Consumer Price Index I just take 12%(assuming 6 + 6%) 2 times D.A in a year

* MACP / Promotion Years

(A) Therefore, the total pension wealth of a government servant who joined in 2014 and retiring under New Pension Scheme shall at the time of his retirement be Rs. 2,87,26,201/-

(B) 60% of the lump-sum pension wealth which he / she will be getting on retirement:
Rs.1,72,35.720

(C) 40% invested in an annuity scheme which he / she can receive before 70 years:
Rs.1,14,90,481

(D) Earned Leave Encashment: Rs. 215625 x 10 months : Rs. 21,56,250
TOTAL of (A) (B) (C) and (D) will be Rs. 3,08,82,451

Death Gratuity:
Although not entitled for retirement gratuity, but eligible for Death Gratuity If died during the service

Monthly Pension:
At the assumed Interest at the rate of 8.7% per annum on the other 40% of pension wealth of Rs.1,14,90,481 invested in annuity shall fetch  monthly pension of at least : Rs.83,306/ –
Not only this, before he / she attains the age of 70 he / she can withdraw the remaining 40% of his pension wealth of Rs. 1,14,90,481/- which if invested in Fixed Deposit of a nationalised bank can fetch interest and take care of not only of his wife and children but his descendants also for generations to come.

This is just a tip of the iceberg. If we consider the other 4 pay commission benefits that materialize on1/1/2016, 1/1/2026, 1/1/2036 and 1/1/2046 which a NPS pensioner who joins as UDC shall be getting before his retirement in 2049,his total pension wealth will be undoubtedly double the above amount which comes to more than Rs.5 crores. While a person who joins as U.D.C. gets this much, one will be rocked out of stupor to know what a Group A officer who renders 35 years of service may get – undoubtedly his total pension wealth will be more than Rs.10 crores.
 
Benefits under Central Government Pension Scheme

Now let us see what will be the retirement benefits of the above person if he / she is put in government pension scheme:

1.Gratuity for 16.5 months :
Rs.2,15,625 x 16.5 months = Rs.35,57,812/- Restricted to Rs.10,00,000
 
2. Earned Leave Encashment:
Rs. 215625 x 10 months : Rs.21,56,250
 
3. Pension Commutation:
Rs.17195 x 40% = Rs.6878 x 12 x 8.194 years Rs 6,76,300
Total Benefits under Central Government Pension Scheme: Rs.38,32,550
 
4. GPF Balance:
As it is a general tendency of the government servants to withdraw from GPF frequently, there will be very little left at the time of retirement
 
5. Monthly pension

i) Rs.34390 / 2 = Rs.17195 (basic pension being 50% of pay and grade pay Less 40% of basic pension towards commutation (Rs 6878) which will be restored after 15 years
Balance basic pension is Rs. 10317

ii) DA @ 527% of basic pension of Rs.17195 = Rs. 90617 (subject to increase in DA every 6 months based on consumer price index)
Total pension is Rs.1,00,934 per month.

After the death of government servant say after 67 years, spouse can take only 60% of the basic pension i.e.Rs.17195 x 60% = Rs.10317 plus D.A.at the prevailing rates. After spouse’s death children are unlikely to draw the pension as they would have already crossed the age limit. Thus, unlike the dependents of NPS pensioners, there will be nothing left for financial security of the dependents of the government pensioners .
Thus it is unwise on the part of government servants who have joined after 1/1/2004 to demand for abolition of NPS scheme and grant of government pension.

Mr.M.Dorai
Deputy Director
ESIC Model Hospital,
Bangalore (Ministry of Labour, Government of India) is the author of this Article.