Central Bank opens lines for talk - The National

The Central Bank has met lenders to consult for the first time on how it regulates the retail banking system.

All of the major banks were invited to the first meeting of the Retail Banking Committee on Wednesday to discuss the regulator's new rules on mortgage lending, according to sources at local and international banks who asked not to be identified.

Top bankers said they hoped the meetings would become a regular feature of the Central Bank's oversight. The meeting follows aggressive interventions by the Central Bank in the past six months that have led to new rules on personal loans, bank provisioning, mortgage lending and telemarketing.