Consultation on the calculation of risk-weighted assets

The Ministry of Finance has today issued a public consultation on draft proposals for four new sets of rules that are possible alternatives to the current backstop on the level of risk-weighted assets (the so-called Basel I floor). An important consideration is that a possible new system should not lower the sum of risk-weighted assets compared with the level following from the current rules, including the Basel I floor.

The Ministry of Finance announced in the National Budget 2013 that the Ministry would look into IRB banks' use of models to calculate capital adequacy requirements. The Ministry is considering the possibility of introducing a new system to replace the current backstop on risk-weighted assets (the Basel I floor). If the Ministry is to abolish the current Basel I floor rules, it is important to find a level for the banks' risk weights that does not weaken the capital adequacy requirements for banks using the IRB approach. Finanstilsynet (the Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway) has been commissioned to look into possible measures to strengthen banks' IRB models; cf. a letter of 14 December 2012 from the Ministry. The Ministry received Finanstilsynet's assessment on 4 March 2013.

Based on Finanstilsynet's assessment, the Ministry of Finance has prepared draft proposals for four new sets of rules, each of which are possible alternatives to a continuation of the Basel I floor arrangement. The Ministry refers to the enclosed consultation letter and paper, as well as Finanstilsynet's assessment of 4 March 2013.

Read more: Public consultation on draft proposal (only in Norwegian)