Gold Bond subscription opens Monday at Rs 2,780 per gm

New Delhi: The Reserve Bank today fixed Rs 2,780 per gram the price of sovereign gold bonds, which will open for public subscription on Monday. The price is lower than Rs 2,901 per gram for the last round of the scheme in April this year.

The nominal value of the bond based on the simple average closing price, published by the India Bullion and Jewellers Association Ltd (IBJA)], for gold of 999 purity of the week preceding the subscription period works out to Rs 2,830/gram.

However, the government, in consultation with the Reserve Bank, has decided to offer a discount of Rs 50 per gram on the nominal value of the Sovereign Gold Bond.

"Hence, the issue price of Gold Bond for this tranche has been fixed at Rs 2,780 per gram of gold," the RBI said.

The Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2017-18 - Series II will open for subscription for the period from July 10 to July 14.

The bonds will be sold through banks, Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL), designated post offices and recognised stock exchanges namely the NSE and BSE, the finance ministry said in a statement today.

The sovereign gold bond scheme was launched in November 2015 with an objective to reduce the demand for physical gold and shift a part of the domestic savings, used for purchase of gold, into financial savings.

Under the scheme, the bonds are denominated in units of one gram of gold and multiples thereof. Minimum investment in the bonds is one gram with a maximum limit of subscription of 500 grams per person per fiscal year (April-March).

The government has so far issued eighth tranches of SGBs and mobilised Rs 5,400 crore. Investors in these bonds have been provided with the option of holding them in physical or dematerialised form. The bonds with tenure of 8 years will be tradable on stock exchanges within a fortnight of the issuance on a date as notified by the RBI.

The investors will be compensated at a fixed rate of 2.50 per cent per annum payable semi-annually on the nominal value, it said. Payment for the bonds will be through cash payment (up to a maximum of Rs 20,000) or demand draft or cheque or electronic banking.

The maximum amount subscribed by an entity will not be more than 500 grams per person per fiscal year. A self- declaration to this effect will be obtained. In case of joint holding, the investment limit of 500 grams will be applied to the first applicant only.

The bonds can be used as collateral for loans. The loan- to-value ratio is to be set equal to ordinary gold loan mandated by the Reserve Bank from time to time.

The capital gains tax arising on redemption of SGB to an individual has been exempted. The indexation benefits will be provided to long-term capital gains arising to any person on transfer of bond.