A paper on bank capital requirements was withdrawn without explanation

A working paper from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) about how banks use countercyclical capital buffers has been removed. The authors requested the withdrawal, but did not say why.

Academic papers are usually withdrawn because of errors, or because the findings are no longer relevant. But a paper about bank capital requirements, especially countercyclical buffers, touches on how much cash banks must hold to absorb losses during economic downturns. Withdrawing such a paper without explanation can create uncertainty about the underlying data or analysis, especially when central banks rely on this kind of research to set policy.