Dealing with the flak

With the final Basel Accord proposals due to be published later this year, the Bank of International Settlements’ new Asian head, Shinichi Yoshikuni, does not have much time to settle into his new role, writes Nick Sawyer

Time is a luxury for Shinichi Yoshikuni. As the recently appointed chief representative for the Bank for International Settlements’ (BIS) only non-European office in Hong Kong, one of his responsibilities is to address the many anxieties and concerns of Asia’s banks over the new Basel Accord. With time ticking down to the 2005 implementation date, and a draft proposal due to be published within months, Yoshikuni has little chance of settling into his new role gently.

Many of Asia’s banks have