A governance code that forces regulators to clearly define the purpose of banks is much needed.

Sir you write, “From January 1, a revised corporate governance code will apply to UK-listed companies, for instance. It now states that the board’s duty is to ‘establish the company’s purpose, values and strategy, and satisfy itself that these and its culture are aligned’”. “Taking the measure of good corporate culture” December 27.

Sir, if only such code had existed and been applied by bank regulators.

As is the risk weighted capital requirements for banks which so dangerously distorts the allocation of credit to the real economy, were developed without any consideration to what is the purpose of banks, that is unless you think that being a safe mattress into which to stash away cash, is all that banking is about.

If “What are banks for?” had been asked, the Basel Committee would not have allowed banks to leverage much more with “safe” residential mortgages than with “risky” loans to entrepreneurs, those who could perhaps help to create more of the jobs needed in order to be able to service the mortgage and pay utilities.

You also write: “The Banking Standards Board, set up in 2015 to help the UK sector regain trust, runs an annual assessment of members, monitoring areas from honesty to accountability with a staff survey, focus groups and interviews.”

Sir, with respect to accountability, has that Board ever asked regulators why they think that what bankers perceive risky is more dangerous to our bank systems than what they perceive as save?

@PerKurowski

The Banking Standards Board should also require bank regulators to uphold higher ethical standards

Sir, Patrick Jenkins’ discusses what the Banking Standards Board can do influencing the ethics of banks. “Banks gain help on the scandal-strewn road to better behaviour” March 8.

If I were the BSB then, in the case of the fatidical mis-sold mortgage-backed securities, I would come out swinging against the regulators stating:

How on earth did you allow us banks to buy AAA to AA rated securities against only 1.6 percent in capital, meaning we could leverage our bank equity 62.5 times to 1 with that kind of paper? Don’t you know there are very few human bankers able to resist such temptation because, if they did, they would find other banks earning much higher expected risk adjusted returns on equity, leaving them as the dumb kids of the block, or as those who refused to dance while the music was playing?

And now, should those who created the temptations, the devils in the play, be able to go free, while we who fell for the temptations, the weak in flesh, shall bear all guilt? No! That’s not acceptable!

And, if I were accused of the manipulation of Libor, I would at least declare in my defense that such manipulation was really quite harmless when compared to the regulators’ manipulation of the allocation of bank credit to the real economy. That manipulation, which regulators committed with their risk weighted capital requirements for banks, was and is also something completely unethical.

@PerKurowski ©