This report presents the results of the Basel Committee’s latest Basel III monitoring exercise based on data as of 30 June 2016. The Committee established a rigorous reporting process to regularly review the implications of the Basel III standards for banks, and it has published the results of previous exercises since 2012. Data have been provided for a total of 210 banks, comprising 100 large internationally active banks. These “Group 1 banks” are defined as internationally active banks that have Tier 1 capital of more than €3 billion, and include all 30 banks that have been designated as global systemically important banks (G-SIBs). The Basel Committee’s sample also includes 110 “Group 2 banks” (ie banks that have Tier 1 capital of less than €3 billion or are not internationally active).

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Dong Chen

While a sharp deceleration of China’s growth to below 6% is not part of our core scenario in 2017, such a possibility cannot be ruled out as China faces increasing domestic and external headwinds. Continue reading…

On 16-17 February 2017, the Central Bank of Lesotho hosted the 11th meeting of the Financial Stability Board (FSB) Regional Consultative Group (RCG) for Sub-Saharan Africa in Maseru, Lesotho. At the meeting, members of the FSB RCG were provided with an update on the FSB’s workplan and priorities, to pursue the full, timely and consistent implementation of post-crisis financial reforms, evaluate whether reforms have had their intended effects, and address new vulnerabilities in the financial system.  Continue reading…

by Mark Dunn

Transparency International has released its 2016 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). The CPI ranks 176 countries and territories on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be. The index aggregates a number of different sources, including the views of business people and country experts. Continue reading…

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) recently published a Discussion Paper (‘Paper’), which seeks stakeholder views on the practice of investing in illiquid assets through open-ended funds and the challenges that can pose to managers and investors. Illiquid assets in the context of this Paper may include land and buildings, infrastructure and financial assets such as unlisted securities.
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by Georgina Oakes

The right corporate culture not only creates a better risk environment, it has clear financial benefits. Georgina Oakes, research and development manager at Airmic, explains that the risk manager should be at the heart of change. Corporate culture may be a hard-to-define concept but its tangible benefits are increasingly being recognised by business leaders, regulators and investors. An EY survey of FTSE 350 board directors found that 92% of respondents believe that investing in culture has improved their financial performance.
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Michel Klompmaker

The Italian Objectway, with offices in the UK, Belgium and South Africa recently held its international customer conference in Amsterdam, where your platform was also invited. The event began with an exclusive visit to the famous Van Gogh Museum, where Luigi Marciano, President & CEO of Objectway, proudly presented the new company brand on one of the walls. Continue reading…

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) recently published final changes in a Policy Statement (PS) aimed at strengthening the transparency and effectiveness of their enforcement decision-making processes.The consultation and policy recommendations covered the full lifecycle of an investigation. Continue reading…