Swiss bank industry rejects higher capital requirements for UBS

The Swiss Bankers Association (SBA) strongly opposes the extra capital requirements for UBS being demanded by the government. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox According to the SBA, the measures unnecessarily further risk tightening the already stringent Swiss requirements. In a position statement today, director Roman Studer calls for an overview to avoid "duplication and unnecessary burdens". The organisation also argues that such regulations, although targeted at UBS, would create a structural competitive disadvantage for the entire Swiss financial centre, increasing costs and weakening the real economy. The SBA therefore urges the consideration of proportionate and internationally coordinated alternatives. The Swiss Business Federation (economiesuisse) is also on the same wavelength. "The planned tightening of banking regulation risks increases the cost of credit and weakens the Swiss financial centre," it argues. "The capital and liquidity ...