ZURICH, Sept 21 (Reuters) - The Swiss National Bank will provide funds secured against mortgages to all commercial banks, expanding liquidity provision to the sector, Vice Chairman Martin Schlegel said on Thursday.
To take advantage of the support, which had previously only been available to systemically important banks, lenders must be able to transfer the mortgages to the central bank.
The greater the number of banks that take the preparatory steps necessary to use the new possibility of obtaining liquidity, the greater will be the central bank's room for manoeuvre in time of need, Schlegel said.
Earlier this month, Switzerland's central bank was criticised for being too restrictive in a report by a group of experts, including bankers and academics, formed in the wake of Credit Suisse's collapse.
Schlegel said, by expanding the ways the country's banks can tap liquidity, the central bank was not lowering its standards.
Persons:
Martin Schlegel, Schlegel, Noele, Tomasz Janowski
Organizations:
Swiss National Bank, Thomson
Locations:
ZURICH