BASEL – Global regulators have set up the promised task force whose purpose is to help improve the level and quality of disclosure by financial firms of their risk exposures and risk management practices.

MUMBAI – Stricter capital requirements for Indian banks than those proposed in the internationally-agreed Basel III framework are described by Moody’s rating agency as “credit positive” in an early-May note. The agency was commenting on final rules for the implementation of Basel III in India, issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the country’s central bank, the previous week. “These stricter standards are credit positive for Indian banks as they focus on strengthening Tier 1 capital and attach a higher value to core equity within Tier 1 capital,” the agency note said.

WELLINGTON – New Zealand has brought its plans for implementing the Basel III bank capital and liquidity rules more into line with those of Australia, and pushed out its timetable for transitional arrangements for the de-recognition of non-qualifying capital issued by banks by three years to January 2018.

BASEL – Regulators have identified seven issues in the huge market for securities lending and repos (sale and repurchase agreements), which they reckon might pose risks to financial stability, or at least need further investigation. These issues include a lack of transparency, the pro-cyclicality of system leverage and interconnectedness, insufficient rigour in collateral valuation, and potential risks arising from fire-sales of collateral assets.

LONDON/NORWALK, CONN. – Final standards on the vexed issue of accounting for insurance contracts could be issued by the two key standard-setting authorities in 2013, according to a report to the Group of Twenty (G20) leading economies.

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa will help banks that do not meet tough liquidity requirements after stress tests showed some lenders in Africa's top economy will struggle to meet the new Basel III capital and liquidity rules.

G20 sets a new 2013 deadline for the convergence of US and international rules as the standard-setters report movement As the advance towards a single set of global accounting standards continues to creep on in its petty pace, the two leading accounting bodies involved edged nearer to one another on a couple of issues crucial to banks.

America is not at loggerheads with Europe over cross-border group regulation but wants a carefully thought out approach

JP Morgan’s troubles put pay in the spotlight as the G20 moves to tackle worries over rules compliance and a level playing field

Governments and lawmakers grope for ‘flexibility’ compromise over CRD IV. Much is staked on extraordinary finance ministers' meeting By Melvyn Westlake