Basel ii Accord Sections 40 to 49

Part 2: The First Pillar ─ Minimum Capital Requirements
I. Calculation of minimum capital requirements
 
40. Part 2 presents the calculation of the total minimum capital requirements for credit,
market and operational risk. The capital ratio is calculated using the definition of regulatory
capital and risk-weighted assets.
 
The total capital ratio must be no lower than 8%.
 
Tier 2 capital is limited to 100% of Tier 1 capital.
 
A. Regulatory capital
 
41. The definition of eligible regulatory capital, as outlined in the 1988 Accord (11) and
clarified in the 27 October 1998 press release on “Instruments eligible for inclusion in Tier 1
capital”, remains in place except for the modifications in paragraphs 37 to 39 and 43.
 
(11) The definition of Tier 3 capital as set out in the Market Risk Amendment remains unchanged.
 
42. Under the standardised approach to credit risk, general provisions, as explained in
paragraphs 381 to 383, can be included in Tier 2 capital subject to the limit of 1.25% of riskweighted assets.
 
43. Under the internal ratings-based (IRB) approach, the treatment of the 1988 Accord
to include general provisions (or general loan-loss reserves) in Tier 2 capital is withdrawn.
Banks using the IRB approach for securitisation exposures or the PD/LGD approach for
equity exposures must first deduct the EL amounts subject to the corresponding conditions in paragraphs 563 and 386, respectively.
 
Banks using the IRB approach for other asset classes must compare (i) the amount of total eligible provisions, as defined in paragraph 380, with (ii) the total expected losses amount as calculated within the IRB approach and defined in paragraph 375.
 
Where the total expected loss amount exceeds total eligible provisions, banks must deduct the difference. Deduction must be on the basis of 50% from Tier 1 and 50% from Tier 2. Where the total expected loss amount is less than total eligible provisions, as explained in paragraphs 380 to 383, banks may recognise the difference in Tier 2 capital up to a maximum of 0.6% of credit risk-weighted assets. At national discretion, a limit lower
than 0.6% may be applied.
 
B. Risk-weighted assets
 
44. Total risk-weighted assets are determined by multiplying the capital requirements for
market risk and operational risk by 12.5 (i.e. the reciprocal of the minimum capital ratio of
8%) and adding the resulting figures to the sum of risk-weighted assets for credit risk.
 
The Committee will review the calibration of the Framework prior to its implementation. It may apply a scaling factor in order to broadly maintain the aggregate level of minimum capital requirements, while also providing incentives to adopt the more advanced risk-sensitive approaches of the Framework.(12)
 
The scaling factor is applied to the risk-weighted asset amounts for credit risk assessed under the IRB approach.
  
12 The current best estimate of the scaling factor using QIS 3 data adjusted for the EL-UL decisions is 1.06. The final determination of any scaling factor will be based on the parallel calculation results which will reflect all of the elements of the framework to be implemented.
 
C. Transitional arrangements
45. For banks using the IRB approach for credit risk or the Advanced Measurement
Approaches (AMA) for operational risk, there will be a capital floor following implementation
of this Framework.
 
Banks must calculate the difference between (i) the floor as defined in paragraph 46 and (ii) the amount as calculated according to paragraph 47.
 
If the floor amount is larger, banks are required to add 12.5 times the difference to risk-weighted assets.
 
46. The capital floor is based on application of the 1988 Accord. It is derived by applying
an adjustment factor to the following amount:
(i) 8% of the risk-weighted assets,
(ii) plus Tier 1 and Tier 2 deductions, and
(iii) less the amount of general provisions that may be recognised in Tier 2.
 
The adjustment factor for banks using the foundation IRB approach for the year beginning year-end 2006 is 95%. The adjustment factor for banks using (i) either the foundation and/or advanced IRB approaches, and/or (ii) the AMA for the year beginning year-end 2007 is 90%, and for the year beginning year-end 2008 is 80%.
 
The following table illustrates the application of the adjustment factors. Additional transitional arrangements including parallel calculation are set out in paragraphs 263 to 269.
 
 
13 The foundation IRB approach includes the IRB approach to retail.
 
47. In the years in which the floor applies, banks must also calculate
 
(i) 8% of total riskweighted assets as calculated under this Framework,
 
(ii) less the difference between total provisions and expected loss amount as described in Section III.G (see paragraphs 374 to 386), and
 
(iii) plus other Tier 1 and Tier 2 deductions. Where a bank uses the standardised
approach to credit risk for any portion of its exposures, it also needs to exclude general
provisions that may be recognised in Tier 2 for that portion from the amount calculated
according to the first sentence of this paragraph.
 
48. Should problems emerge during this period, the Committee will seek to take
appropriate measures to address them, and, in particular, will be prepared to keep the floors
in place beyond 2009 if necessary.
 
49. The Committee believes it is appropriate for supervisors to apply prudential floors to
banks that adopt the IRB approach for credit risk and/or the AMA for operational risk
following year-end 2008.
 
For banks that do not complete the transition to these approaches
in the years specified in paragraph 46, the Committee believes it is appropriate for
supervisors to continue to apply prudential floors — similar to those of paragraph 46 — to
provide time to ensure that individual bank implementations of the advanced approaches are
sound.
 
However, the Committee recognises that floors based on the 1988 Accord will
become increasingly impractical to implement over time and therefore believes that
supervisors should have the flexibility to develop appropriate bank-by-bank floors that are
consistent with the principles outlined in this paragraph, subject to full disclosure of the
nature of the floors adopted. Such floors may be based on the approach the bank was using
before adoption of the IRB approach and/or AMA.
 
 

 

 

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