Final answer:
The emphasis on maturity mismatches in a bank's funding profile as part of Basel III is due to the potential liquidity risks and financial instability it can cause, highlighting the importance of proper asset-liability time management and a stable funding strategy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Bank of International Settlements emphasizes maturity mismatches in a bank's funding profile because it can lead to liquidity risks and financial instability. An asset-liability time mismatch occurs when customers can demand the return of their deposits in the short term (the bank's liabilities), whereas a bank's loans (the bank’s assets) are usually repaid over a longer period. If many depositors withdraw their funds simultaneously, the bank may struggle to meet these short-term obligations, especially if it cannot quickly convert long-term assets into cash without significant loss.
This is closely related to a bank’s balance sheet, which is an accounting tool that lists assets and liabilities, and the bank’s liquidity. Ensuring that a bank has a stable funding profile is crucial for its continual operation and the prevention of a financial crisis. Basel III's regulations aim to strengthen bank capital requirements and introduce liquidity ratios that banks must meet to discourage excessive reliance on short-term funding, thus mitigating the risks associated with maturity mismatches.