Regulation
New FSA chief sounds warning call
The new chief executive of the British Financial Services Authority, Hector Sants, has warned that banks and financial institutions may not have done enough to protect themselves and their investors against the impending market downturn.
Interim board for new Qatari watchdog by December
Qatar's finance ministry will appoint an interim board to manage the proposed single financial sector regulator by December this year.
Portfolio credit risk in central banks
This report presents the findings of a task force, established in early 2006 and consisting of nine Eurosystem central banks to analyse and discuss the use of portfolio credit risk methodologies by central banks.
Analysing hedge fund credit risk
This New York Fed Staff Report argues that the characteristics of hedge funds makes the use of counterparty credit risk management (CCRM) methodologies more difficult as they exacerbate market failures linked to agency problems, externalities, and moral…
Why Europe needs a banking charter
The authors of this IMF Working Paper argue that a full-fledged EU-level prudential regime that operates along-side national regimes - which they call a "European Banking Charter" - could harness market forces to establish a level playing field for…
FSA urged to take on retail banking regulation
John Tiner, who leaves the UK's Financial Services Authority (FSA) today after four years as chief executive, told an annual meeting that the oversight of retail banking should be consolidated, as the reasons that had led to a separate code were no…
New regulator for Qatar
Qatar is to follow the international trend towards an integrated approach to the regulation of various financial products, services and institutions. Work is under way to create a fully-integrated regulatory and legal environment for financial services.
Dutch finance minister keen on Islamic banking
The Dutch finance minister, Wouter Bos, is calling for an investigation into the possibility of developing Islamic banking in the Netherlands.
US plays catch up on Basel II
The Federal Reserve's Randall Kroszner noted that while many countries are implementing Basel II, US regulators are still finalising the rules.
MAS chief on financial risk and innovation
Ten years on from the Asian financial crisis, Heng Swee Keat, managing director, of Monetary Authority of Singapore, opened the first annual Risk Management Institute Research Conference.
Croatian governor turns away German bank
eljko Rohatinski, the governor of the Croatian National Bank, refused to allow a German bank to return to the country after its role in a crisis five years ago.
US watchdogs mull hedge fund regulation
After hearing testimonies on developments in the hedge fund industry, the Financial Services Committee of the American House of Representatives has suggested that tighter regulation of the industry may be required.
Fed's Warsh on hedge fund risks
Addressing the House's Committee on Financial Services, Kevin Warsh, a member of the board of governors of the Federal Reserve, set out what the Fed sees as the risks hedge funds pose to the financial system.
Draghi sees more efficiencies from bank mergers
Mario Draghi, the governor of the Bank of Italy, says the market expects further savings as banks in Italy consolidate. Speaking at the meeting of the Italian Banking Association in Rome on 11 July, Draghi said savings would come from unifying IT systems…
Opiokello on Uganda and Basel II
David Opiokello, the deputy governor of the Bank of Uganda, said "The key element that countries should consider before moving on to Basel II is whether a good baseline supervisory system is in place," in a speech delivered on 3 July in Kampala.
Japan: regional economic report
The Bank of Japan published a regional economic report on 6 July.
Deputy chief of Korean watchdog cleared
Kim Jung-Hoe, a deputy chief of South Korea's financial regulator, the Financial Supervisory Service, has been cleared by a court of receiving bribes from a businessman.
Balkan central banks agree on regulation framework
The central banks of six Balkan countries and Cyprus on Friday have agreed on a framework of regional cooperation to improve banking supervision, streamline operations and help fight money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
Italy's Draghi on financial innovations
In a speech on 4 June Mario Draghi, governor of the Banca D'Italia, reviewed some of the most important financial innovations seen in recent years, and the consequences they have had for financial markets and institutions.
New head at Canadian regulator
Jim Flaherty, the Canadian finance minister, has announced the appointment of Julie Dickson as the new head of the country's financial services regulator, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI).
Former BaFin employee guilty of embezzlement
A German court has found a former employee of BaFin, Germany's top financial markets regulator, guilty of embezzlement. The employee, whose name was not disclosed, was yesterday sentenced to six years in prison.
Noyer on French banks' vulnerabilities
Christian Noyer, governor of the Banque de France, said there is an "ever more urgent need for new methods of risk assessment and for appropriate supervision that can react swiftly to these changes," at a speech given on 29 June during the presentation…
Dubai watchdog issues hedge fund code
The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has published a draft Hedge Fund Code for public comment. A consultation paper and a copy of the draft code were made available on the DFSA's website on 4 July.
Roth refutes hedge fund risk
The highly leveraged institutions (HLI) industry is "no direct threat to financial stability," Jean-Pierre Roth, chairman of the governing board of the Swiss National Bank and chairman of the board of directors of the Bank for International Settlements,…