RBI guidelines on pvt bank CEOs' salary package

Mumbai: Aiming at aligning the salary structures with the business performance, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) plans to announce its draft guidelines on the compensation packages of private sector bank Chiefs by March.

In the mid-term policy review, Reserve Bank Governor D Subbarao had said that the apex bank was working on the principles outlined in the Financial Stability Board for sound compensation and will come out with norms to ensure healthy practices in the compensation policies of private and foreign banks. This would be aimed at putting a framework in the way banks compensate their CEOs and other top executives, as reported by PTI.

The Governor had highlighted the compensation practices, especially that of bigger financial institutions, as one among the factors that contributed to the recent global financial crisis. In the G-20 meet last year, the leaders had expressed concerns over the high compensation packages of top bank executives, which, they argued was a not positive sign in a healthy financial system. With a view to align the compensation with long-term value creation, the G-20 leaders had urged the central banks to formulate compensation policies. However, each country will have to adopt its own norms.

"What the RBI trying to do is to rationalize the remunerations of CEOs and other key employees in private and foreign banks, as they feel that it is important for the health of the individual firm and the system as a whole," a source said. Last year, the Reserve Bank had reportedly expressed its concerns on the compensation packages of atleast three private sector banks, as they felt that the salary structure was not in line with the market standards.

Presently, the salaries of top executives in private and foreign sector banks are approved by the central bank after the individual bank's board clears the proposals.