Canada Regulator Plans Looser Bank Rules to Boost Business Loans

Canada’s banking regulator is proposing to ease capital rules for certain corporate and real estate loans, aiming to fuel more business investment in the country.

The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions on Thursday launched a 90-day public consultation on proposed changes to capital requirements for credit risk. The goal, it said, is to better align rules with actual risks while freeing up bank balance sheets to “extend credit and support growth.”

Key changes include lowering the risk weighting for loans to small- and medium-size businesses as well as for low-rise residential real estate projects, which OSFI views as ...