Banks are gearing up to fight a proposal by global regulators to sharply increase capital requirements for institutions that bring in outside investors to fund subsidiaries, saying it will cripple their ability to expand in emerging markets.
Bank executives fear the provision would create huge holes in the capital stocks of a wide range of UK, European and Japanese financial institutions, at a time when they are already under pressure to increase their regulatory capital.
Analysts described the proposal as one of the most “draconian” and “potentially devastating” parts of a package of measures put forward in December by the Basel committee, which sets global standards that are implemented by local regulators.