Kiwibank wary of capital-review barrier to growth

Access to loss-absorbing capacity in focus. (Image: NZME)

Fri, 24 Oct 2025

Growth-hungry Kiwibank has criticised one of two capital-stack options proposed in the central bank’s latest prudential review as a potential barrier to growth for banks of its size.“Capital settings should not give some banks a competitive advantage over others unless there are compelling financial stability benefits,” the bank said in review feedback.“Kiwibank needs to ensure it has sufficient capital to support its strong growth ambition. Excessive capital requirements create an unnecessary barrier to growth,” i...

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