The Financial Stability Board (FSB) has on April 26th published a report on the interaction between US dollar funding and external vulnerabilities in emerging market economies (EMEs). The report has been prepared in collaboration with the IMF and forms part of the FSB’s work programme on non-bank financial intermediation. The report proposes policy measures to address EME vulnerabilities arising from foreign currency borrowing. These include measures to tackle the build-up of foreign exchange mismatches; enhance crisis management tools; and address data gaps to facilitate risk monitoring and the timely adoption of policies. The report also stresses the importance of ongoing work to address vulnerabilities from liquidity mismatches in open-ended funds, which would also help bolster the resilience of EMEs’ financial systems. Continue reading…

The clock is ticking on International Financial Reporting Standard 17 (IFRS 17), the January 1, 2023, compliance deadline drawing ever closer. For insurers around the globe struggling with self-development or “empty box” software solutions, there is a new path forward: KPMG IFRS 17 Express – powered by SAS®. The IFRS 17 solution blends KPMG’s deep IFRS experience, SAS’ best-of-breed analytics and an IFRS 17 methodology globally tested by Allianz, one of the world’s leading insurance groups with customers in more than 70 countries.
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YouControl is a Ukrainian IT company, developing open data services since 2014 and a same-name analytical system for analysing companies’ and individuals’ activities (https://youcontrol.com.ua/en/). They have many years of successful experience in creating AML and KYC systems used by international companies. The company is a member of 15 business associations, such as the European Business Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and many others. Furthermore, YouControl is trusted by the National Bank of Ukraine, the State Financial Monitoring Service of Ukraine, National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP), and many other government regulators. Continue reading…

Eurojust supported the setting up of a joint investigation team (JIT) into alleged core international crimes committed in Ukraine. The responsible national authorities of Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine signed a JIT agreement on 25 March to enable the exchange of information and facilitate investigations into war crimes, crimes against humanity and other core crimes. Participation in the JIT may be extended to other EU Member States, third countries or other third parties in due course. Continue reading…

The financial fragmentation in the euro area that occurred at the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was reversed relatively quickly, the European Central Bank (ECB)’s latest report on Financial Integration and Structure in the Euro Area shows. Once pre-pandemic levels of integration were regained, financial integration increased further and remained resilient to pressure from further waves of infections. The most influential policy interventions that initially kept fragmentation contained, and then brought integration back to pre-pandemic levels, were the series of ECB monetary policy measures and the European Union (EU) agreement on a sizeable coronavirus recovery fund. Continue reading…

Akshata Murthy, the wife of British finance minister Rishi Sunak, said on Friday that she would stop avoiding British tax on her foreign income — bowing to pressure which her husband had earlier dismissed as a political smear. The public anger over Murthy’s tax status has been heightened by her husband’s decision to increase payroll taxes at a time when surging inflation leaves Britons facing the biggest cost-of-living squeeze since records began in 1956. Murthy, an Indian citizen, is eligible for so-called “non-domiciled” status in Britain, something available to foreign nationals who do not regard Britain as their permanent home. That in turn allowed her to opt to pay UK tax only on income she earned in or transferred to Britain. Continue reading…

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU’s securities markets regulator, has on 28 March published its Final Report on the European Union Carbon Market (EU carbon market). The Report’s analysis did not find any current major deficiencies in the functioning of the EU carbon market based on the data available. However, ESMA’s analysis of the market has led it to put forward a number of policy recommendations to improve market transparency and monitoring. Continue reading…

Authorities from France, Germany and Luxemburg carried out extensive measures to freeze EUR 120 million worth of assets linked to the investigation of a money laundering case in Lebanon, during an action day on 25 March. Five properties in Germany and France were seized as well as several bank accounts. Eurojust supported the judicial cooperation by setting up a joint investigation team (JIT) and organising three coordination meetings.

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Agustín Carstens, General Manager at the Bank for International Settlements, recently delivered a speech on the topic of inflation at the International Center for Monetary and Banking Studies Geneva on 5 April 2022. Being the BIS’s General Manager, it will not come as a surprise to you that I have decided to devote my presentation to the issue that is top of mind for policymakers around the world, namely the return of inflation. After more than a decade of struggling to bring inflation up to target, central banks now face the opposite problem. The shift in the inflationary environment has been remarkable. If you had asked me a year ago to lay out the key challenges for the global economy, I could have given you a long list, but high inflation would not have made the cut.  Continue reading…

Banks are increasingly exploring opportunities for using artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML). AI/ML technology is expected to increase banks’ operational efficiency and also facilitate improvements in risk management. While significant opportunities are emerging from the increasing use of AI/ML in many areas of banking, there are also risks and challenges associated with these techniques. Banks are still in the process of developing best practices for risk management. Given the increasing adoption of this technology as well as the potential risks, the Committee is analysing banks’ use of AI/ML and potential implications for bank supervision. Continue reading…