The U.K’s Finance Ministry is scrapping a key part of the Senior Managers Regime that demanded senior managers prove that they took the necessary steps to prevent employee misconduct. Instead, a new “duty of responsibility” clause will require senior managers to take only the appropriate steps to prevent a regulatory breach. More inside.
Aarti Maharaj
Posted inRegulatory Enforcement
Clawbacks, Other Reforms Drive Better Pay Disclosure
A new study from Deloitte finds that FTSE 100 companies have dramatically improved their disclosures around executive pay in recent years, probably in no small part due to new clawback provisions and other governance requirements adopted lately. (New regulations on pay disclosure were rolled out last year, such as a binding shareholder vote on director pay every three years.) Overall, communication with investors about pay is improving, Deloitte said, and disclosures are becoming more transparent. Details inside.
Posted inRegulatory Enforcement
Podcast: AML Compliance in the Netherlands
Image: In this week’s podcast, Leon Blonk, regional compliance officer at the Bank of China, discussed the current state of anti-money laundering compliance in the Netherlands and what companies should consider when conducting business in this part of Europe. According to Transparency International, the Netherlands ranked eighth in its latest Corruption Perceptions Index, which means that the country still has some work to do in dealing with corruption. Listen here.
Posted inFrom the Archive
Podcast: AML Compliance with Leon Blonk
Image: In this week’s podcast, Leon Blonk, regional compliance officer, Bank of China discusses the current state of anti-money laundering compliance in the Netherlands and what companies should consider when conducting business in this part of Europe. According to transparency international, the Netherlands ranked eighth in TI’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index, which means that the country still has some work to do in dealing with corruption.
Posted inEurope
SFO Speeds Up Tesco’s Accounting Probe
The Serious Fraud Office has accelerated its probe into the accounting irregularities at Tesco, hoping to resolve the criminal investigation by year-end. The supermarket chain’s former chief executive Philip Clarke is one of many former Tesco executives being scrutinized by the agency in its investigation; Laurie McIlwee, former finance director, is being interviewed as a witness. Details inside.
Posted inEurope
EU Pushes for More Tax Transparency Among Member States
The European Union passed a new law that will put an end to sweetened tax deals between member states and multinationals. Under the new legislation, member states will be required to swap information about special corporate tax deals twice per year with national tax authorities over an encrypted e-mail system. Details inside.
Posted inEurope
U.K. FCA: Senior Managers To Be ‘Whistleblower Champions’
Image: The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority is calling on senior managers to serve as “Whistleblower Champions” and to play a lead role in protecting employees who come forward with critical information about misconduct. The rules are part of the Senior Managers Regime, which is slated to go into effect in September 2016. “It is in the interests of the industry and regulators alike that wrongdoing is identified and addressed promptly,” said Tracey McDermott, acting FCA chief executive officer. More inside.
Posted inEurope
EIOPA Requires ‘Robust’ Risk Management Framework
Image: The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) is backing the creation of a separate asset class for high-quality infrastructure investments under Solvency II. The EIOPA also stressed that insurers should have the proper due diligence and risk management procedures in place to tackle the complexities associated with this new asset class. “It is very important that risks of infrastructure investments are properly managed and monitored over time” EIOPA Chairman Gabriel Bernardino said. Details inside.
Posted inRegulatory Enforcement
Third Parties Face Penalties Over ‘Deliberate Tax Evasion’ Scheme
An investigation into third parties by the Revenue Commissioners of Ireland revealed that some companies were deliberately dodging tax laws by submitting incomplete and doctored disclosures to avoid penalties. According to a report by the comptroller and auditor general, tighter regulations are necessary to help crack down on tax evasion by contractor companies. More inside.
Posted inRegulatory Enforcement
Financial Instruments Rule May Challenge Banks
Image: Danièle Nouy, supervisory chief of the European Central Bank, spoke recently about a new accounting standard for financial instruments that may prove challenging to the banking sector. “The completion of this accounting standard as one of the responses to the financial crisis will bring major changes and challenges to the industry, mainly regarding the implementation of the new expected loss model,” Nouy said. Details inside.
