2018-11-29
Added · Updated
The Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo mandates all licensed domestic banks to implement a comprehensive Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process (ICAAP) that ensures sufficient capital is allocated to cover operational risks and support strategic planning. Banks must continuously evaluate their risk appetite and capacity, integrate stress testing and sensitivity analysis into daily operations, and maintain robust governance frameworks that align risk strategies with business objectives. The regulation requires systematic risk identification, monitoring, and transparent reporting to the board and senior management, ensuring that capital adequacy assessments directly inform business decisions and regulatory compliance.
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Pursuant to Article 35, paragraph 1.1 of the Law No. 03/L-209 of the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo (Official Gazette of the Republic of Kosovo, No. 77/16 August 2010), and Article 102 of the Law No. 04/L-093 on Banks, Microfinance Institutions and Non-Bank Financial Institutions (Official Gazette of the Republic of Kosovo, No. 11/11 May 2012), the Board of the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo at the meeting held on November 29 , 2018 approved the following:
REGULATION ON THE INTERNAL CAPITAL ADEQUACY ASSESSMENT PROCESS FOR BANKS
Article 1
Purpose and Scope
1.1.“Risk profile” - is the assessment of the overall exposure to risks to which a bank is or could be exposed in its operations at a specific moment, including interactions and concentration risk (hereinafter: the bank’s risks). This assessment may take account of exposure to risks before or after the application of risk management measures; 1.2.“Risk appetite” (also “acceptable risk” and “risk tolerance”;) - is the overall level of risk accepted in advance, including the levels of individual types of risk, that the bank is willing to take up for the purpose of realizing its business objectives, strategies, policies and plans, having regard for the bank’s risk bearing capacity, its strategies and policies for the take-up and management of risks, and its capital, liquidity and compensation system or policies ; 1.3.“Risk limits” - are the adopted quantitative restrictions and measures based on which a bank manages the take-up of risks and their concentration across products, investments, business lines, entities in the group or other risk management criteria, and that allow the bank to allocate risks across business lines and types of risk and that the bank sets with regard to its risk appetite, various stress scenarios and other criteria; 1.4.“Risk bearing capacity” - is the largest overall risk level that a bank is able to take up, having regard for its available capital, liquidity, risk management and control measures, stress test results and other restrictions on the take-up of risks;
1.5. “Risk management culture” - is a bank’s level of standards and values
implemented, considering the risk awareness of the members of the board of directors, senior management, and other employees that via their actions and attitudes to the bank’s risk and the proposals for internal control functions is reflected in their decision with regard to the take-up and management of risks at the level of the bank’s daily activities and has an impact on the implementation of the adopted risk appetite; 1.6.“Concentration risk” - is the risk of excessive direct and/or indirect exposure arising from the credit risk of a bank or banking group vis-à-vis an individual client, a group of connected clients or clients linked by common risk factors; 1.7.“Reputation risk” - is the risk of a loss as a result of a negative image about a bank held by its customers, business partners, employees, owners and investors, competent authorities or supervisory authorities, or other relevant public audiences;
1.8.“Strategic risk” - is the risk of loss as a result of incorrect business decisions by the board of directors and senior management, a failure to implement the decisions taken, and weak responsiveness on the part of the board of directors and senior management to changes in the business environment; 1.9.“Capital risk” - is the risk of a loss as a result of the inadequate composition of capital with regard to the nature and scope of a bank’s operations or to the difficulties that the bank faces in obtaining fresh capital, particularly in the event of the need for a rapid increase in capital or in the event of adverse business conditions;
1.10. “Profitability risk” - is the risk of a loss as a result of the inadequate
composition or diversification of income or a bank’s inability to ensure a sufficient and sustainable level of profitability;
1.11. “Internal capital requirements” - is an estimate of the capital, needed for
covering the bank’s risks;
1.12. “Internal capital assessment” - is the capital calculated on the basis of the
internal definition of a bank’s capital components;
1.13. “Stress test” - entails the use of various quantitative and qualitative techniques
for testing a bank’s robustness to severe but plausible developments set out by the bank on the basis of various combinations of changes in risk factors (stress test scenarios);
1.14. “Sensitivity analysis” - is a technique that is less complicated technique of a
stress test and that merely includes an assessment of the impact of a change in a single precisely determined risk factor on a bank’s financial position, whereby the cause of the shock is not defined;
1.15. “ICAAP” – means Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process
Article 3
Assessing and ensuring internal capital adequacy
Article 6
Risk policies
2.4 Other restrictions, including any restrictions deriving from the bank’s bylaws,
regulations and standards, or the requirements of the CBK.
3. Where specific risks or other factors are not taken into account in the assessment of the
risk bearing capacity, the bank shall explain what the risks and factors are, citing the reasons why they have not been taken into account.
4. The bank shall regularly asses the risk bearing capacity, including during any significant
change in exposure to taken-up risks. The assessment of risk bearing capacity shall be documented. The bank shall review the adequacy of the methodology for assessing risk bearing capacity at least once a year, including the proposals for its potential updating.
Article 9
Bank’s risk
The risks that a bank takes up within the framework of its operations may include credit
risk and counterparty risk, concentration risk within the framework of credit risk, market risks, interest rate risk, liquidity risk, operational risk (including legal risk), currency risk, compliance risk, model risk, reputation risk, strategic risk, capital risk, profitability risk, risk of excessive leverage, and securitization risk.
The bank shall ensure that at any moment it is capable of managing all of its other
significant risks on a consolidated and individual basis. Significant risks shall be identified early, treated comprehensively, monitored within the framework of the bank’s daily activities and presented in timely fashion to the board of directors, the senior management, the internal audit department, the compliance department. Effective risk management reduces the probability of unexpected losses, and consequently prevents reputation risk deriving from such losses.
In addition to the general requirements in connection with risk management set out by this
regulation, the bank shall additionally meet the requirements with regard to the treatment of the following risks:
3.1 Credit risk;
3.2 Liquidity risk;
3.3 Operational risk;
3.4 Market risk.
Article 10
Effective risk management process
The bank shall ensure effective risk management processes for identifying, measuring or
assessing, managing and monitoring risks, including recovery plans and the reporting of the risks to which the bank is or could be exposed in its operations.
The risk management processes referred to paragraph 1 of this article are deemed
effective if they facilitate the production of high-quality assessments, analysis, reports, proposals of measures and other results of these processes, including an internal assessment of risk-based capital requirements and an internal capital assessment, based on which the board of directors and senior management is able to take business decisions that are in accordance with the adopted risk appetite, and other measures in connection with the realization of stable internal governance arrangements at the bank.
The bank shall provide for systematic planning of the development of the risk management
processes referred to in paragraph 1 of this article, for the purpose of their effective tailoring to any changes in the bank’s risk profile, the risks of the external environment and best risk management practice.
Article 11
Identification and assessment or measurement of risks
The process of identifying risks shall ensure that all the significant risks referred to in
paragraphs 1 and 2 of Article 9 of this regulation are taken into account. The identification of significant risks shall include:
1.1. Comprehensive risk analysis, including risks that could have an adverse impact on
the bank’s earnings, liquidity and book value of the bank;
1.2. Consideration of risk concentrations and the potential risks inherent in the complexity
of the bank’s legal and organizational structure;
1.3. Analysis of trends for the purpose of identifying new or emerging risks as a result of
changes in the bank’s business conditions.
The process of the ordinary and, where appropriate, extraordinary assessment or
measurement of the identified risks referred to in paragraph 1 of this article shall be based on:
2.1 Established and documented processes for the assessment or measurement of losses
that are in accordance with the bank’s methodologies for the calculation of minimum own funds requirements;
2.2 The use of an appropriate toolkit of scenarios with regard to causes of risk and risk
interactions;
2.3 The use of appropriate and reliable databases.
Article 12
Stress tests
A bank shall provide for a comprehensive approach to the implementation of stress tests
and sensitivity analysis (hereinafter: stress tests) that includes:
1.1. The identification of the most significant causes of risk, and the preparation of
appropriate stress scenarios;
1.2. The application of the results of stress tests for the purpose of:
1.2.1. Identifying risks and the development of the bank’s exposure to these risks,
1.2.2. Reviewing the adequacy of assessments or measurements of risks;
1.3. Compiling a toolkit of potential risk management measures referred to paragraph 1
of Article 13 of this regulation in the event of adverse operating conditions for the bank (e.g. the preparation of business continuity plans).
2. The bank shall take account of the results of stress tests in the process of reviewing and
planning the bank’s risk appetite, risk limits and risk bearing capacity, planning the bank’s capital and liquidity, and making an internal assessment of capital adequacy and sustainable liquidity. The board of directors, the risk committee, the senior management and the internal audit department shall be briefed on the results of stress tests. The management board shall confirm the results of stress tests on each occasion.
3. The management board/ senior management shall review and approve the stress scenarios
referred to in paragraph 1 of this article on each occasion, and shall brief the risk committee accordingly.
Article 13
Managing taken-up risks
this article, in conjunction with the organizational units that are taking up the risks the risk management function shall provide for the regular monitoring and reporting of the risks for the purpose of managing these risks within the agreed risk limits or in accordance with the senior management decisions.
Article 14
Risk monitoring and communication about risks
the senior management. The senior management shall brief the board of directors on such risks without delay.
4. In connection with the compilation of reports on risks the bank shall provide for an
appropriate level of automation in the process of preparing individual reports that ensures their compliance with the actual situation. In the event of manual interventions in the content of a report, the bank shall provide for appropriate internal controls (e.g. an audit trail, the four eyes principle).
Article 16
Adequacy of reports on risks
The scope and detail of reports on risks shall take account of the needs of the target users
of the reports, as follows:
1.1. The bank’s board of directors, risk committee, and senior management shall receive
comprehensive information about all significant issues in connection with the bank’s operations and its risks;
1.2. The internal audit department, the risk management function and the bank’s other
managers shall receive relevant information about key issues in connection with the bank’s operations and its risks. Information is deemed relevant if is presented in a manner that transparently summarizes the significant content of an issue with regard to its priority.
Reports on risks shall be:
2.1 Understandable; reports are deemed understandable if they contain clear and
accurate information about risks;
2.2 Sufficient; reports are deemed sufficient if they include all significant risks and
together provide for a comprehensive overview of the bank’s risk profile;
2.3 Useful; reports are deemed useful if they constitute a basis for the adoption of
appropriate measures;
2.4 Comparable and compatible; reports are deemed comparable and compatible if their
form is as standardized as possible with regard to the information that they contain;
2.5 Timely; reports are deemed timely if they facilitate the taking of decisions in an
appropriate time with regard to the nature and type of the risks.
Article 17
Risks of new products and external contractors
A bank shall ensure that the risks inherent in the introduction of new products are also
included in the risk management processes referred to in Article 10 of this regulation.
Should the bank use external contractors in the pursuit of its business activities, the risk
management processes referred to paragraph 1 of this article shall also include the risks inherent in the use of external contractors.
Article 18
Policy for approval of new product and external contractors
For the purpose of managing the risks inherent in the introduction of new products, a bank
shall put in place and implement a policy for the approval of new products.
For the purpose of managing the risks inherent in the use of external contractors, a bank
shall put in place and implement a policy for the use of external contractors.
Article 19
ICAAP as integral part of risk management processes
A bank shall ensure that the ICAAP is an integral part of the risk management processes
referred to in paragraph 2 of Article 10 of this regulation. To this end, in the implementation of the ICAAP and the corresponding calculations of the internal assessment of risk-based capital requirements and the internal capital assessment, the bank shall apply the same systems, processes, methodologies, data and definitions of risks as those applied in the identification, assessment or measurement, management, monitoring and controlling of risks.
The board of directors shall ensure that the results of the ICAAP, including the internal
assessment of risk-based capital requirements and the internal capital assessment, are taken into account in:
2.1 The adoption of the bank’s business decisions;
2.2 The definition and adoption of risk strategies, the risk appetite and the risk bearing
capacity, and in the bank’s long-term capital planning.
Article 20
Board of Directors’ responsibility for approval of ICAAP
For the purpose of the proper application and results of the ICAAP in the adoption and
supervision of business decisions and risk strategies, the board of directors shall approve the adequacy of the ICAAP at least once a year, including the internal assessment of risk-
based capital requirements and the internal capital assessment on each occasion and the corresponding measures (hereinafter: results of the ICAAP). In so doing:
1.1. The senior management shall approve the adequacy of the ICAAP and its results on
the basis of detailed knowledge of the objectives, processes, procedures and methodologies of the ICAAP;
1.2. The board of directors shall approve the adequacy of the ICAAP and its results on
the basis of ensuring general awareness of the concept and objectives of the ICAAP, including an understanding of the importance of its results and the corresponding measures.
1.3. With each approval of the adequacy of the ICAAP, the board of directors and senior
management confirms that the ICAAP is taking account of the risk strategies.
2. For the purpose of the effective adoption and monitoring of the implementation of business
decisions and risk strategies referred to in paragraph 1 of this article, the bank shall ensure that the board of directors and senior management is regularly briefed on which of the bank’s risks are addressed in the ICAAP, including the corresponding internal assessments of risk-based capital requirements.
Article 21
Planning and implementation of ICAAP
function, which ensures the proper balance of interests between the bank’s take-up of risks and its risk management.
2. The bank shall ensure sufficient human resources (HR) and financial conditions for the
purpose of the implementation of the ICAAP, including the use of appropriate information technology.
4. The bank shall ensure that the ICAAP is regularly updated with regard to changes in the
bank’s internal and external environments or changes in the objectives, strategies and policies referred to in paragraph 1 of Article 4 of this regulation.
Article 22
Inclusion of identified risks in ICAAP
and products on a consolidated and individual basis. The bank shall ensure the regular review of the comprehensiveness of the data and the coordination of the data used with information from the balance sheet and other relevant data deriving from the bank’s financial reports.
2. A bank that uses advanced risk measurement techniques in its risk measurement
(hereinafter: economic capital model) shall to this end ensure that the economic capital model, including the data used, is tailored to the bank’s business model, activities, products, and other internal and external circumstances. The validation (confirmation of the adequacy) of the economic capital model shall be provided by one of three organizational options of the bank which are independent, determined as follows:
2.1 Two separated units (i.e., one unit which develops the model and the other unit which
validates the model) which report to different members of senior management.
2.2 Two separated units (i.e., one unit which develops the model and the other unit which
validates the model) which report to the same member of senior management.
2.3 The separation of staff (i.e., the staf which develops the model and the staff which
validates the model) within the same organizational unit which report to Chief Risk Officer.
3. In its risk measurement referred to in paragraph 1 of this article, the bank shall ensure that
any consideration of the effects of risk management measures in the calculation of the internal assessment of risk-based capital requirements does not act to reduce the internal assessment of risk-based capital requirements such that the reduction in the internal assessment of risk-based capital requirements could be disproportionate to the actual effect of the risk management measures.
Article 24
Internal assessment of risk-based capital requirements A bank shall calculate an internal assessment of risk-based capital requirements on the basis of its own methodology, including the combination of internal assessments of risk-based capital requirements for individual risks, or another appropriate methodology.
Article 25
Internal capital assessment and objectives for maintenance of risk bearing capacity
bearing capacity are deemed appropriate if they include the bank’s approach to ensuring capital adequacy under the following scenarios at least:
1.1. The bank as a going concern;
1.2. An emergency (but plausible) situation in the bank’s operations.
2. The bank shall provide for the regular assessment (at least once a year) of the adequacy of
capital components referred to in paragraph 1 of this article, including the consideration of any planned changes with regard to these components.
Article 26
Capital planning
For the purpose of stably ensuring capital adequacy, a bank shall provide for adequate capital planning for a period of at least three years that takes account of the bank’s approach to the distribution of any dividends and the possibility of recapitalization. The capital planning shall be based on realistic assumptions, having regard for the business strategy and the risk strategy referred to in paragraph 1 of Article 4 of this regulation, and any restrictions deriving from regulations and standards and from the requirements of the CBK.
Article 27
Analysis of risk bearing capacity
bank’s investors. The protection of these interests is deemed appropriate if the bank’s capital is sufficient to repay the bank’s creditors.
4. The bank may also define scenarios for the maintenance of risk bearing capacity for the
purpose of covering other, less significant risks that are frequently realized.
5. The bank shall monitor the consideration and any breaches of the risk bearing capacity
under the scenarios for the maintenance of risk bearing capacity put in place.
Article 28
Use of stress tests
Article 30
Documentation related to ICAAP process
ICAAP, overall, on the basis of the ICAAP report, supervisory examinations, and the dialogue with the bank regarding the capital adequacy, risk management, and risk bearing capacity.
Article 33
Implementation, remedial measures and civil penalties Any violation of the provisions of this Regulation shall be subject to remedial and punitive measures, as defined in the Central Bank Law and the Law on Banks.
Article 34
Appendices
An integral part of this regulation is the Appendix 1.
Article 35
Entry into force
This Regulation shall enter into force on 01.01.2020 The Chairman of the Board of the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo ______________________________ Prof. Dr. Flamur Mrasori
APPENDIX 1
Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process (ICAAP) Submission Template
ICAAP Submission Template
Executive
Summary
This summary should provide an overview of the ICAAP framework and results such as:
Confirmation that the bank (on a consolidated basis) has assessed its capital as adequate given the size and complexity of its business. Commentary on the most material risks faced by the bank, why the level of risk is acceptable or, if it is not, what mitigating actions is planned. Summary of the main findings of the ICAAP analysis including:
Background of ICAAP
This section should provide a high level overview of the banks’ ICAAP, pulling together the Bank’s risk management framework, business planning and capital management. The overview should cover relevant policies and systems used by the bank to identify, manage and monitor its risks according to its risk appetite and its risk bearing capacity. Information on Business Model and Strategy This section should provide a high level overview of the bank’s business model and strategy, risk strategies and risk policies, and relationships as referred to
Article 4. In this section the bank should provide also a description of the
current business models including identification of core business lines, markets, geographies, and products the bank operates; description of main income and cost drivers, allocated to core business line, and markets; and forward-looking strategy in terms of description of the changes planned by the bank to the current business model and its underlying activities. Information on Risk Governance and Management Framework This section should provide a high level overview and description of the bank’s overall governance arrangements, including the roles and responsibilities within the risk management and control organization, including at the level of board of directors and senior management; description of reporting lines and frequency of regular reporting to the management; description of interaction between risk measurement and monitoring and actual risk taking practice (e.g. limit setting, monitoring, dealing with breaches etc.), etc.. Information on Risk Appetite Framework This section should provide a high level overview of the bank’s risk appetite and set out the frequency of review of the risk tolerance by senior management and the board of directors.
Material
Risks
This section should provide a concise description of the bank’s risk identification process and outline how the bank identifies material risk areas. Key risks which should be considered as part of an ICAAP include:
In a separate appendix (include as Appendix 1 to your ICAAP submission), please provide further detail on the bank’s risk assessment and quantification methodology, including:
How the bank defines each of the key risks listed above as well as any other risks identified as key based on the bank’s risk profile; How the bank determines the materiality of each key risk; and A description of how each material risk is then quantified for capital allocation purpose, including detailed methodology to specify data, assumptions and calculations. Risk Bearing Capacity This section should provide a high level overview of the Banks’s risk bearing capacity and maintenance of risk bearing capacity. The Bank here generally presents the methodology and process for assessing the risk capacity, including the risk- bearing capacity analysis as required by
Article 27 of this Regulation.
In appendix is presented in detail the methodology, calculations, and the entire process, including detailed analysis of the risk-bearing capacity. Information on Capital Planning This section should include:
the bank’s “baseline” capital forecasts (at least quarterly, based on annual business plan); a 3-year summary forecast capital position; and A description of the bank’s capital planning and management process, including an outline of how ICAAP is incorporated into this process. Stress Testing This section should provide a concise description of how the bank’s stress testing program is used to support capital adequacy assessment and management.
CBK expects banks to stress test all material portfolios and significant risks identified. The detailed methodology of stress tests should be presented in a appendix. Integration of ICAAP into Risk Management This section should:
Summarize how ICAAP has been used by the bank and how it is embedded in the decision making process; Describe how ICAAP results have been integrated into risk limits setting and monitoring; and Describe how the ICAAP results are reported to the board. Challenge & Next Steps This section should:
Summarize the extent of challenge and testing of the ICAAP and the control processes applied to the ICAAP calculations; Outline the board and senior management sign-off procedures; Identify the nature of any third party review of the ICAAP; and Identify any plans to enhance the ICAAP going forward.
ICAAP - Summary Key Metrix Report
Capital Planning Summary Form
Institution: Financial Year End:
Submission date: Risk Weighted Assets: (000 Euro) Board Approval: Total Equity (000 Euro) ICAAP Elements Pillar I capital requirements ICAAP estimate (in 000 EUR) (in 000 EUR) Risk subject to minimum capital requirements Credit risk Market risks Operational risk Total Pillar I Risks Risks not fully covered by minimum capital requirements Residual risk (from credit risk) Securitisation risk Residual risk (from market risk) Currency risk Risks not subject to minimum capital requirements Interest rate risk Concentration risk Counterpart risk Market liquidity risk Reputation risk Model risk Profitability risk Strategic risk Capital risk Compliance risk ….. (If needed, add additional rows) Total Pillar II Risks Additional capital to cover stress testing and capital planing Internal assesment of risk-based capital Diversification effects (-) a) for the same risk b) for different rikss Overall capital requirement/estimate Total Pillar I capital requirement Total Pillar II capital requirement (Reference to Appendix 2 of your ICAAP Submission) of which:
(000 Euro) Current (t) Year (t+1) Year (t+2) Year (t+3) Risk-weighted Exposures Regulatory Capital Minimal capital requirement (Pillar 1) Capital Adequacy Ratio (%) Capital requirement (Pillar II) Total capital requirement Capital Planing
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