RBNZ says 2025 capital review strikes right balance

The review was aimed at providing more scope for lending. (Image: Getty)

Thu, 18 Dec 2025

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has issued its new capital-review decisions for the nation’s deposit takers, but critics have been quick to raise several potential points of contention.“I’d hesitate to call this a new chapter in New Zealand capital regulation,” said Martien Lubberink, a banking academic at Victoria University of Wellington. He noted banks were already halfway through phasing in the 2019 capital regulations framework, which had for several years been seen as too conservative and constraining.The Rese...

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