CA-10.1.1

The requirements in this Chapter are applicable to Bahraini Islamic bank licensees.

CA-10.1.2

The use of non-equity funds to fund assets is referred to as financial leverage. It allows a financial institution to increase the potential returns on its equity capital, with a concomitant increase in the riskiness of the equity capital and its exposure to losses since the non-equity funds are either not, or only partially risk-absorbent. Consequently, leverage is commonly accomplished through the use of borrowed funds, debt capital or Sharia compliant hedging instruments, etc. It is common for banks to engage in leverage by borrowing to acquire more assets, with the aim of increasing their return on equity. Similarly, the contingent exposure of the banks can expose them to risk of losses much greater than is observable on the balance sheet.

CA-10.1.3

The leverage ratio serves as a supplementary measure to the risk-based capital requirements of the rest of this Module. The leverage ratio is a simple, transparent ratio and is intended to achieve the following objectives:

CA-10.2.1

Bahraini Islamic bank licensees must meet a 3% leverage ratio minimum requirement at all times, calculated on a consolidated basis.

CA-10.2.2

The leverage ratio is defined as follows: The Numerator of the leverage ratio is Tier 1 capital as defined in Paragraph CA-1.1.2. The Denominator is composed of self-financed exposures and adjusted exposures funded by URIAs (see Section CA-10.3). The leverage ratio is expressed as a percentage as follows:

CA-10.2.3

A proportion of assets financed by URIA must be included in the exposure calculation, whether considered on- or off-balance sheet by the Bahraini Islamic bank licensee. The proportion of such assets is calculated by multiplying the relevant assets by the alpha parameter (30%) for capital adequacy purposes. Assets financed by restricted investment accounts are not included in the denominator of the leverage ratio.

CA-10.2.4

The leverage ratio framework follows the same scope of regulatory consolidation for Tier One Capital and Total Exposures as is used in CA-B.1.2A, except where a banking, financial, insurance or commercial entity is outside the scope of regulatory consolidation, only the investment in the capital of such entities (i.e. only the carrying value of the investment, as opposed to the underlying assets and other exposures of the investee) is to be included in the total exposures measure. However, investments in the capital of such entities that are deducted from Tier One Capital must also be deducted from the exposures measure for the purpose of the leverage ratio calculation.

CA-10.2.5

Bahraini Islamic bank licensees identified as DSIBs must also meet a leverage ratio buffer requirement of 50% of HLA buffer (currently set at 1.5%), consistent with the capital measure required to meet the requirements of Module DS.

CA-10.3.1

The calculation of total exposure for the leverage ratio must generally follow the accounting measures of exposures (i.e. as reported in the financial statements of the Bahraini Islamic bank licensees). All the on-balance sheet, non-derivative exposures must be included net of specific provisions and valuation adjustments (e.g. credit valuation adjustments). The impact of credit risk mitigation (including physical or financial collateral, guarantees, Urbun, Hamish Jiddiyah, etc.) must not be considered, and on-balance sheet exposures must not be adjusted for the purpose of calculating the total exposure (i.e. they must be unweighted). Netting of financing exposures against investment accounts/deposits is not allowed. Specific details on the treatment of on and off-balance sheet items in the calculation of total exposure are provided in this Section.

CA-10.3.2

All the on-balance sheet items on the assets side of the Bahraini Islamic bank licensee's balance sheet must be included. This includes all the Shari'a-compliant alternatives to repurchase transactions and securities financing transactions. AAOIFI accounting measures for Bahraini Islamic bank licensees must be used for taking account of such transactions.¹³ For Shari'a-compliant hedging instruments, the accounting measure of the exposure must be used (i.e. unweighted and 100% C.C.F.). In addition, potential future exposures must be computed on an unweighted basis according to the Current Exposure Method, as delineated in Paragraph CA-4.5.16.

¹³ Unless there are no applicable AAOIFI accounting standards, in which case IFRS must be used.

CA-10.3.3

Items (such as goodwill) that are deducted completely from Tier One Capital must be deducted from Total Exposures.

CA-10.3.4

According to the treatment outlined in Paragraphs CA-2.4.20 to CA-2.4.24, where a financial entity is not included in the regulatory scope of consolidation in CA-B.1.2A, the amount of any investment in the capital of that entity that is totally or partially deducted from CET1 or from AT1 capital of the Bahraini Islamic bank licensees following the corresponding deduction approach in Paragraphs CA-2.4.20 to CA-2.4.26 must be deducted from Total Exposures.

CA-10.3.5

For the purpose of the leverage ratio, OBS items must be converted into credit exposure equivalents through the use of credit conversion factors (CCFs).

CA-10.3.6

For the purpose of Paragraph CA-10.3.5, commitments include any contractual arrangement that has been offered by the bank and accepted by the client to extend credit, purchase assets or issue credit substitutes.

CA-10.3.7

Direct credit substitutes, e.g. general guarantees of indebtedness (including standby letters of credit serving as financial guarantees for financing and securities) and acceptances (including endorsements with the character of acceptances) receive a CCF of 100%.

CA-10.3.8

The exposure amount associated with unsettled financial asset purchases where regular-way unsettled trades are accounted for at settlement date, a 100% CCF applies.

CA-10.3.9

Forward asset purchases and partly paid shares and securities, which represent commitments with certain drawdown, will receive a CCF of 100%.

CA-10.3.10

The following transaction-related contingent items — performance bonds, bid bonds, warranties and standby letters of credit related to particular transactions, receive a CCF of 50%.

CA-10.3.11

Note issuance facilities (NIFs), and revolving underwriting facilities (RUFs) receive a CCF of 50%.

CA-10.3.12

A 40% CCF will be applied to commitments, regardless of the maturity of the underlying facility, unless they qualify for a lower CCF.

CA-10.3.13

A 20% CCF will be applied to both the issuing and confirming banks of short-term¹⁴ self-liquidating trade letters of credit arising from the movement of goods (e.g. documentary credits collateralised by the underlying shipment).

¹⁴ That is, with a maturity below one year. For further details see Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, Treatment of trade finance under the Basel capital framework, October 2011, www.bis.org/publ/bcbs205.pdf.

CA-10.3.14

A 10% CCF will be applied to commitments that are unconditionally cancellable at any time by the bank without prior notice, or that effectively provide for automatic cancellation due to deterioration in a borrower's creditworthiness.

CA-10.3.15

The CBB shall evaluate various factors in the jurisdiction, which may constrain banks' ability to cancel the commitment in practice, and consider applying a higher CCF to certain commitments as appropriate.

CA-10.3.16

Where there is an undertaking to provide a commitment on an off-balance sheet item, banks are to apply the lower of the two applicable CCFs.¹⁵

¹⁵ For example, if a bank has a commitment to open short-term self-liquidating trade letters of credit arising from the movement of goods, a 20% CCF will be applied (instead of a 40% CCF); and if a bank has an unconditionally cancellable commitment to issue direct credit substitutes, a 10% CCF will be applied (instead of a 100% CCF).

CA-10.3.17

All off-balance sheet securitisation exposures, except an eligible liquidity facility or an eligible servicer cash advance facility receive a CCF of 100% conversion factor. All eligible liquidity facilities receive a CCF of 50%. Undrawn servicer cash advances or facilities that are unconditionally cancellable without prior notice are eligible for a 10% CCF.

CA-10.6.2

The gearing ratio is measured as the ratio of deposit liabilities against the bank’s capital and reserves. Deposit liabilities includes ‘balances of banks and similar institutions’ (excluding deposits from head office), ‘current accounts for non-banks’ and ‘total unrestricted investment accounts’ as reported in Section A Balance Sheet of the PIRI. Capital and reserves refers to the aggregate amount of the capital items reported in Section A Balance Sheet of the PIRI i.e. ‘total capital liabilities’.

CA-10.6.3

Deposit liabilities must not exceed 20 times the respective bank’s capital and reserves at all times (i.e. capital and reserves must be 5% or above of the deposit liabilities).