The Securities Commission of The Bahamas has issued guidance setting supervisory expectations for every regulated person that deals with clients. Complaints should be acknowledged in writing within five business days and receive a final written response within 40 business days, or a reasoned holding response if that deadline cannot be met. The guidance does not create rules, but inadequate arrangements may affect an entity’s risk assessment and lead to remediation, intensified monitoring or enforcement action. Boards and senior management should oversee documented, accessible procedures and ensure complaints are investigated fairly, assessed on their substance and considered for wider client impact. Regulated persons should maintain a complaints register, retain records for at least seven years and conduct root-cause analysis, with recurring issues and remedial action reported to senior management. The guidance complements public-facing information on referring unresolved complaints to the Commission, which may inspect complaint files and use complaints data in supervision.
2026-09-01Bahamas Securities Commission
Securities Commission of The Bahamas sets complaints handling expectations, including five-day acknowledgments and 40-day final responses
The Securities Commission of The Bahamas has set supervisory expectations for complaints handling by all regulated persons that deal with clients. Complaints should be acknowledged within five business days and receive a final response within 40 business days, while records must be retained for at least seven years. Weak governance, investigation or root-cause analysis may trigger supervisory or enforcement action.