Regulation and supervision Financial Sector Assessment Programme

Financial Sector Assessment Programme

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) undertook a Financial Sector Assessment Programme (FSAP) for New Zealand in 2016, with the findings and recommendations released in May 2017. An FSAP is a comprehensive review of a country’s financial system, with a particular focus on the quality of financial sector regulation. The previous New Zealand FSAP was conducted over 2003-04.

The 2016 New Zealand FSAP included a review of the Reserve Bank’s set of financial sector responsibilities, as well as an assessment of changes in New Zealand’s approach to securities and market conduct regulation.

Go to the International Monetary Fund's website

20 July 2017

11 May 2017

IMF releases individual FSAP reports:

9 May 2017

8 May 2017

27 April 2016

23 June 2004

Regulatory news & updates

May 2021 Banks

The Reserve Bank has published revised versions of its Banking Handbook documents BS13 and BS13A that set out the liquidity policy applying to registered banks.

More information can be found on the Banking Supervision Handbook page

Mar 2021 Banks

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has eased the dividend restrictions placed on retail banks at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The changes will allow banks to pay up to a maximum of 50% of their earnings as dividends to their shareholders.

Read the media release: Reserve Bank retains some dividend restrictions and expects banks to be prudent

Mar 2021 Banks

The Reserve Bank has finalised its new approach for the reporting and public disclosure of banks’ breaches of their prudential requirements.

Visit Public disclosure of bank breaches which sets out the details of the new approach

Mar 2021 AML-CFT

Industry update on de-risking and AML-CFT risk appetite

Mar 2021 Insurance

We have today released a feedback statement (PDF 700KB) on the consultation relating to Solvency Standard Review principles. We thank those who provided submissions. We are working through submissions received for the consultation on the structure of the solvency standards and our approach to IFRS 17.