The Swiss financial regulator, FINMA, is seeking new powers that would allow it to name publicly and shame banks that were found to breach its rules. Per Reuters, this demand comes as Switzerland looks to strengthen its banking regulations in the wake of the UBS takeover of Credit Suisse last year.
FINMA's new chief executive, Stefan Walter, clarified that his goal is not to start a "feud" with UBS but rather to ensure that taxpayers are protected from the burden of bailing out banks in crisis, especially since this has been a trend for the past few years.
Walter believes that enhancing capital requirements, such as publicly listing banks found to breach contracts, is important for improving the resilience of systemically important banks like UBS.
READ MORE : Switzerland Creates 'Too Big to Fail' Rules to Make Banks Safer Following Credit Suisse Collapse
New Bank Rules from Swiss
The Swiss financial sector has faced a series of high-profile failures in recent years, including the collapse of Credit Suisse. To prevent this, the Swiss government has proposed a 22-point plan to tighten oversight of "too big to fail" banks, according to VCPost.
This includes giving FINMA additional powers, such as imposing fines on non-compliant banks. The regulator has welcomed these proposals, calling for strengthening banks' capital and liquidity buffers.
FINMA's push for greater powers and tougher rules reflects a desire to prevent such incidents from happening again and to protect the country's reputation as a leading financial center.
However, some experts have warned that the new regulations could create a "lose-lose situation" for UBS, potentially limiting its ability to compete with global banking giants.
There are concerns that the regulatory reforms may be overly focused on tightening the screws on Switzerland's most prominent banks rather than ensuring a level playing field, which Walter already clarified on their end.
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