Regulatory point-scoring

A greater move towards international accounting standards is certain to result from the Enron furore. But already there are signs of regulatory one-upmanship. And bankers worry that the debate on the rights and wrongs of the Enron affair is quickly giving way to a turf battles and point-scoring between regulators and accounting bodies.

Best placed to benefit from a widespread move to internationally accepted principles would be the London-headquartered International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).