International criticism of NPR could send Basel II back to the drawing board in US

WASHINGTON DC – The interagency authorities' request for comment on its notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) for the implementation of Basel II in the US has received a tepid reception from both the US and international banking communities.

Details of the proposals have been criticised by nearly all responding organisations, with the issue of divergence between the US and other jurisdictions being a particular focus of attention.

"The NPR creates considerable divergences between the US regulatory capital system and those of other Basel II jurisdictions. We believe these disparities may erode the benefits of Basel II, create competitive challenges for US banks, introduce unnecessary complexity and substantially increase banks' cost