IMF: Switzerland needs to do more to counter risk of giant UBS

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Switzerland needs “strong financial sector reforms” in the wake of the state-engineered rescue takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS last year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Thursday.

“The state-facilitated acquisition of Credit Suisse by UBS has stabilised the financial markets, but the experience and prospects also call for strong financial sector reforms,” the IMF said after concluding its review of the Swiss economy.

The IMF is the latest international body to raise concerns about the new enlarged UBS and the risks its poses to the Swiss economy. Its comments follows warnings from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development earlier this month.

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The Financial Stability Board, a grouping of central bankers, treasury officials and regulators from the group of 20 top global economies, has also highlighted the risk a failure of UBS would pose to Switzerland and urged Bern to strengthen its controls on banks.

Pelin Berkmen, head of the IMF delegation, said the lender’s 2019 recommendations remained relevant. These included stronger powers for Swiss financial regulator FINMA, including the power to fine bank executives and detail its enforcement actions.

“We still believe that our recommendations are relevant and going forward we would hope the Credit Suisse case will put forward in terms of the lessons of what needs to be changed from the authorities’ perspective,” Berkmen told reporters at a press conference in Bern.

The IMF is set to perform a more detailed assessment of the Swiss financial sector later this year and will publish its report early in 2025.

The Swiss government is also due to come up with its own proposals on banking regulation in April.