Banking Commission of the Central African Republic publishes results of tender AON OPIL No 26 E7 2026 BEAC
The Banking Commission of the Central African Republic published the results of tender AON/OPIL No. 26/E7/2026-BEAC.
The Banking Commission of the Central African Republic published the results of tender AON/OPIL No. 26/E7/2026-BEAC.
The Bank of Central African States used its June 2026 monetary policy report to announce lower policy rates and reserve requirements for the third quarter of 2026. It cut the main policy rate to 4.50%, the marginal lending facility to 5.75%, and reserve requirements by 50 basis points, while keeping the deposit facility at 0.00%. The report says inflation remains below the 3% ceiling and projects 2026 reserves to rise to XAF 7,962.3 billion even as regional growth slows to 3.2%.
The Banking Commission of the Central African Republic has published its June 2026 dashboard of CEMAC economic, monetary and financial indicators. It shows regional growth easing to a 3.2 percent 2026 forecast from 3.4 percent in 2025, while inflation slowed to 1.0 percent year on year in March 2026. Credit to the economy rose 12.5 percent year on year, even as net foreign assets fell 9.2 percent.
The Bank of Italy said the euro-area €-coin indicator fell again in June, to 0.39 from 0.45 in May. Weak business and consumer confidence continued to weigh on the measure, which tracks the underlying trend in euro-area GDP growth. The next releases are scheduled for 4 August and 2 September, subject to confirmation.
Paolo Angelini, senior deputy governor of the Bank of Italy and president of the Insurance Supervisory Authority, spoke at the annual meeting of the Italian Association of Insurance Companies.
The Bank of Italy has issued the fifth Historical Archives Working Paper as a guide to its Multimedia Archive, presenting its collection of sound recordings, films, audiovisual materials and other multimedia content as part of Italy’s audiovisual memory.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency promoted Jamie Wilds to deputy comptroller for Supervision System and Analytical Support. He will lead supervisory data, systems, reporting and analytics support, after previously serving in several OCC data and analytics roles since joining the agency in 2007.
The Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority will review how about 10 smaller banks design their internal liquidity stress tests. It will examine the assumptions, stress scenarios, liquidity risk measurements and use of results in liquidity management to build a clearer supervisory picture across firms.
The Central Bank of Russia reported that maximum interest rates on RUB household deposits at the top 10 deposit-taking banks declined across June 2026. The monitored average maximum rate fell from 12.97% in the first 10 days of the month to 12.76% in the third 10 days.
The National Commission for Financial Markets said that, from 25 June 2026, consumers must receive a free Insurance Product Information Document before signing a general insurance contract. The standardized document sets out key risks, exclusions, limits, payment terms and consumer obligations in plain language. The requirement comes from amendments to Law No. 92/2022 on insurance and reinsurance activity.
The Bank of Cape Verde is consulting on preliminary technical criteria to operationalize Cabo Verde’s sustainability taxonomy, starting with energy and water and wastewater activities. Version 1 applies a binary alignment test based on substantial contribution, do no significant harm requirements, minimum social safeguards and sector-specific thresholds. The consultation runs from July 1 to August 10, 2026.
The Bank of Spain has launched its first university financial education programme with the University of Castilla-La Mancha, targeting students across faculties, especially outside economics and finance. An initial four-year agreement supports live online, credit-bearing courses starting in the first semester of 2026/2027, with about 500 students expected in the first intake. The programme is set to expand to other degree courses in the second semester and will be evaluated for satisfaction, effectiveness and impact.
The Bank of Spain has published a reference to the governor's participation in the Banco de España-CEMFI-UIMP conference on the Spanish economy.
The Bank of the Lao donated four desktop computer sets and four printers to a protection command unit of the Ministry of Public Security. The equipment is valued at LAK 102,960,000 and was provided to address operational equipment shortages and support the unit's work.
The India International Financial Services Centres Authority and Japan Financial Services Agency have formalized regulatory cooperation through an Exchange of Letters covering information sharing on financial regulation, supervision and best practices.
The European Banking Federation and 11 other trade associations called on European Union policymakers to use the Market Integration and Supervision Package to strengthen the regulatory and supervisory framework. Their joint statement seeks less legal uncertainty, stronger cost-benefit assessment, a secondary competitiveness objective for the European Securities and Markets Authority, better sequencing of new rules, and less supervisory duplication.
The Qatar Financial Centre said Franklin Templeton will establish Franklin Templeton Investments QFC LLC in Qatar after receiving initial authorisation from the QFC Regulatory Authority. The move gives the USD 1.78 trillion asset manager a local office within QFC and builds on its existing partnership with the Qatar Investment Authority. Salah Shamma will serve as senior executive officer and country head of the new Qatar entity.
Greece's Ministry of National Economy and Finance said Eurogroup President and Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis will propose a dedicated Eurogroup workstream on artificial intelligence, technological innovation and technological sovereignty. He said next week's Eurogroup will discuss artificial intelligence and cybersecurity and is expected to adopt a joint statement on digital finance. The proposal was presented in an interview as part of a broader push to expand euro area finance ministers' coordination into technology policy.
An ECB blog post finds that disruption to Gulf exports through the Strait of Hormuz could create physical shortages that hit growth and lift inflation beyond the effect of higher energy prices. Persistent Gulf energy shortages alone could put up to 3% of euro area production at risk, with larger output losses in Asia. In the ECB staff’s dynamic estimates, combined energy and non-energy disruptions would lower euro area GDP growth by around 0.4 percentage points in 2026 and raise inflation by 1.3 percentage points at the 2027 peak.
The National Bank of Belgium published an article saying Spain, Portugal and Greece have largely corrected the external and fiscal imbalances that drove their sovereign debt crisis, with Greece and Portugal now running budget surpluses and debt ratios falling. It attributes the improvement to structural reforms, tourism, migration and European Union investment support, while noting that Greece still depends heavily on foreign funding and that productivity and unemployment gaps remain. The article presents the experience as a lesson for Belgium on acting early, reforming and restoring public finances.
The National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic approved three bank appointments on July 1, 2026. The decisions cover the chief accountant role at Bereket Bank, a board seat at FinanceCreditBank and a management board seat at Dos-Kredobank.
The Portuguese Insurance Regulator is recruiting a director for its Pension Funds Department on a permanent contract. Applications for the role, listed under reference DSFreq59, close at the end of July 31, 2026.
In an Independence Day message, the Congo Insurance Regulation and Control Authority did not announce a new rule but pointed to ongoing insurance-sector reform. It highlighted parametric agricultural insurance and microinsurance as tools to support agricultural entrepreneurs, formalization and financial inclusion.
The Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway has launched Tilsynsportalen, a beta portal for supervisory reports published from 2025 onward. It lets users search, filter and compare reports across firms, themes, legal references, sanctions and fees, and highlights findings and assessments from the reports. The portal is a navigation tool only, and the original supervisory report remains authoritative.
The Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan is running its 2026 second quarter survey on household financial behavior and intentions. It collects data on consumption, savings, debt burdens, debt-servicing capacity and inflation expectations for macroeconomic analysis, forecasting and monetary and financial stability policy decisions. The survey has been conducted in digital format since 2025 and is planned to run quarterly.
Payments Canada appointed Brim Financial and reappointed six organizations to its Member Advisory Council, effective July 1, 2026. The council advises the board on clearing and settlement systems, their interaction with other payment systems, and new technologies. The next call for nominations will open in early 2027.
The National Bank of Moldova’s first-quarter 2026 insurance sector review shows higher assets, reserves, premiums and profit, with all nine insurers meeting solvency, liquidity and asset coverage requirements. Total assets reached MDL 6,103.5 million, gross written premiums rose 10.8 percent to MDL 820.2 million, and net profit increased 83.6 percent year on year to MDL 68.7 million. General insurance remained dominant, while the net combined operating ratio improved to 98.6 percent.
In remarks to the European Parliament, European Central Bank Banking Supervision’s Claudia Buch outlined an EU banking reform agenda centred on simplifying rules and deepening banking union without weakening prudential safeguards. She argued euro area banks remain well capitalised, that capital requirements are not constraining lending, and that banks must step up investment in cyber and AI-related operational resilience. The statement also backed further harmonisation of buffers, the ECB’s revised Pillar 2 methodology, and eventual introduction of a European deposit insurance scheme.
In a speech, ECB Executive Board member Frank Elderson said faster progress to net zero would reduce euro area inflation volatility and economic vulnerability by cutting dependence on imported fossil fuels and limiting climate and nature-related shocks. He said this requires credible carbon pricing, less fragmented regulation, deeper capital markets, faster permitting and stronger energy infrastructure, while banks must continue strengthening climate and nature risk management.
HM Treasury has published the Financial Services Compensation Scheme's 2025/26 annual report and class statements, showing FSCS paid GBP267 million to 14,113 customers and recovered GBP34.4 million from failed firms. The class statements show GBP356 million was raised through the annual levy, with no supplementary levy or retail pool required. The report also notes the December 2025 increase in deposit protection to GBP120,000.
The Dubai Financial Services Authority has finalized amendments to its Rulebook after consulting on proposals in Consultation Paper No. 171. The changes cover the prudential module for investment, insurance intermediation and banking business and the conduct of business module, and took effect on 2 July 2026.
The Dubai Financial Services Authority confirmed that the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Finance’s inaugural Sovereign Retail Treasury Sukuk has been admitted to trading on Nasdaq Dubai. It is the first UAE sovereign sukuk aimed at retail investors and the first sukuk on a regulated Dubai International Financial Centre exchange to broaden access beyond institutional investors. The admission was granted under the Dubai Financial Services Authority’s listing requirements, including disclosure and investor protection standards.
The Network for Greening the Financial System has published its 2026-2027 strategy, aimed at increasing the practical impact of its climate and nature-related work for members and the wider financial community. Its three priorities are technical innovation on climate and nature risks, stronger climate scenario expertise, and capacity building to help members turn technical work into operational tools.
The Central Bank of Paraguay highlighted the IMF's 2026 Article IV assessment that Paraguay's economy remains resilient, with solid growth supported by inflation targeting, a flexible exchange rate and high reserves. The IMF also said the banking system remains solid based on financial soundness indicators and stress tests, while noting that a broader macroprudential toolkit would help contain vulnerabilities. Medium-term growth could also benefit from stronger investment inflows and productivity gains.
The Norwegian Ministry of Finance has set the mandate for a financial services preparedness council focused on strategic information exchange and dialogue between authorities and the financial sector.
South Korea's Ministry of Economy and Finance said it will publish a won internationalization roadmap in July, extend foreign exchange trading to 24 hours from July 6 and introduce an offshore KRW settlement system in January 2027. The measures are intended to improve offshore access to KRW through better trading, settlement and market access arrangements. The ministry also said it is ready to take market stabilization measures if exchange rate moves become detached from fundamentals and one sided pressures intensify.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority has alerted the public to fraudulent websites, fake internet banking login screens, phishing emails and other scams reported by banks. It reminded customers that banks do not send embedded links for transactions or request passwords or one-time passwords by phone, email or SMS. Affected individuals should contact the relevant bank and report the case to police.
The South Africa Financial Sector Conduct Authority has named 6,064 employers reported to be in arrears on retirement fund contributions in its fifth such publication since June 2022. Estimated arrears have risen to R8.33 billion, affecting about 590,000 members, with late payment interest now making up 43.5% of the total. The authority said it will continue joint enforcement work with other public bodies as recoveries since the first publication have reached R1.01 billion.
Indonesia's Ministry of Finance said the government and parliament have begun discussing a bill to establish the Indonesia International Financial Center as a special regime for financial services and related activities within Indonesia. The proposal includes facilitation on immigration, labor, residency, licensing and tax, as well as a dedicated PFII court for related disputes. The ministry said the bill is mandated under Article 248A of the 2026 amendment to the financial sector development law.
Kazakhstan's Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market has reminded borrowers to seek restructuring from banks or microfinance organizations as soon as repayment difficulties arise and to provide evidence of the financial hardship. Creditors must respond within 15 calendar days and may offer revised terms, while disputes can go to the banking or microfinance ombudsman. The agency also highlighted that Finkelisim.kz began operating on July 1, 2026 as a one-stop platform for collective settlement of overdue unsecured consumer debt across multiple creditors.
The Vietnam State Securities Commission used a conference in Ho Chi Minh City to explain new securities issuance rules, with particular focus on Decree 200/2026/ND-CP for private corporate bonds and international bond offerings. Discussions covered offering requirements, use of proceeds, cash and collateral management, and a new data-sharing mechanism from the Hanoi Stock Exchange’s corporate bond portal to strengthen supervision. A follow-up briefing is planned in Hanoi on July 7, 2026.
The Vietnam State Securities Commission announced the winning bidder for a consulting package to supervise a project replacing hardware infrastructure and migrating key applications to a virtualization platform. The Institute of Information Technology won the contract with a bid of VND 87.9 million against a package price of VND 93.96 million. The contract will run for 180 days from its effective date.
The Vietnam State Securities Commission selected the Institute of Information Technology to supervise implementation of an IT security replacement project. The contract value is VND 104 million, against a package budget of VND 109,944,000. The fixed-price contract runs for 180 days from its effective date.
The Thailand Securities and Exchange Commission has revised debt securities use of proceeds rules to address ambiguity and give issuers more flexibility in fundraising. The changes add exemptions where alternative use has been disclosed and approved under the terms and conditions, and require issuers to amend disclosed purposes before using proceeds differently or outside the disclosed timeframe.
The Malta Financial Services Authority and the University of Malta have launched a new MSc in Financial Regulation and Compliance, with the first intake due to start in October 2026. The programme targets financial services professionals and graduates and covers regulation, compliance, governance, risk management, financial crime prevention and sustainable finance. It builds on the postgraduate diploma introduced in 2024.
The Central Bank of Iraq said it agreed with the Federal Integrity Commission to strengthen coordination against money smuggling and financial crimes. The plan includes stronger pre-emptive oversight, real-time data sharing, and a joint working group to help trace illicit funds and close legal and procedural gaps.
The World Federation of Exchanges has urged the European Securities and Markets Authority to examine the impact of growing bilateral trading in European shares on price discovery and market quality. In its response to ESMA’s market structure consultation, it says the analysis is incomplete without UK trading data in EEA shares and calls for greater transparency around systematic internalisers. It also argues that multilateral venues remain central to price formation and that closing auctions play an important role in efficient execution.
The Network for Greening the Financial System has released its 2026-2027 strategy, shifting its emphasis from principles toward practical implementation of climate and nature-related financial risk work. It will focus on physical, adaptation and nature risks, strengthen climate scenario tools, and help members turn technical outputs into operational tools.
The Angola Insurance Authority has revised the Global Seguros liquidation commission and appointed Francisco Manuel dos Santos as coordinator. He replaces Henda Mondlane Ferreira da Silva in the role. ARSEG said the change is intended to maintain continuity in the insurer's liquidation process.
The Liechtenstein Financial Market Authority has authorized Kaiser Partner Privatbank AG in Vaduz under MiCAR to provide certain crypto-asset services from June 29, 2026. The approval covers safekeeping and management, acceptance and transmission of orders, portfolio management, and transfer services for crypto-assets.
At an event marking the Maldives Monetary Authority's 45th anniversary and launching the Maldives Financial Sector Awards, the Maldives Ministry of Finance stressed closer coordination between fiscal and monetary authorities. Minister Hassan Zareer said improving access to foreign currency and strengthening the foreign exchange system remain government priorities, and cited the sovereign sukuk repayment as evidence of prudent financial management and institutional coordination.
Bank of Indonesia said June 2026 headline inflation was 3.34 percent year on year and remained within its 2.5±1 percent target corridor. Core inflation stayed contained, while volatile food inflation eased and administered prices rose more sharply because of fuel price and airfare increases. The central bank expects inflation to remain within target in 2026 and 2027.
The European Securities and Markets Authority fined Moody’s Germany EUR 2,145,000 and issued a public notice for four negligent breaches of the Credit Rating Agencies Regulation. The breaches covered inaccurate and incomplete reporting to ESMA, plus deficiencies in policies, procedures and internal controls for regulatory reporting. The errors affected ESMA reporting data only and did not affect Moody’s published credit ratings.
The Malaysia Securities Commission said the Federal Court dismissed former Patimas Computers Berhad executive director Ng Back Heang’s application for leave to appeal in an insider trading case. The decision preserves earlier court findings that he sold 16.5 million Patimas shares in 2012 while holding material non-public information, along with the High Court’s RM2.04 million order and five-year ban on serving as a director of any public listed company. The Federal Court also awarded RM50,000 in costs to the regulator.
The Central Bank of the Philippines said a Bangko Sentral Registration Document covering KMC Solutions Hongkong Limited’s investment in Apex RBS Inc. has been reported lost. Banks and affiliated foreign exchange corporations must not honor the original if it is presented for foreign exchange purchases tied to capital repatriation or earnings remittance.
The Australian Securities & Investments Commission has issued 21-day interim stop orders against Stratfund Limited’s Wealthon Vault Development Fund and The People’s Equity Fund over deficiencies in their target market determinations. ASIC said the TMDs inappropriately captured retail investors seeking objectives, portfolio use and withdrawal access that did not match the products’ terms and features. The orders block Stratfund from dealing in the products, issuing disclosure documents for them or recommending them to retail clients through general advice.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority issued a warning from Hong Kong Interbank Clearing Limited about fraudulent websites posing as HKICL and offering fake FPS-related buyer protection and support services. The scam seeks personal identification and bank account details. HKICL said the sites are not affiliated with it and urged the public to remain vigilant and report suspected fraud.
The Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation Limited will run an HKMC Retire 3 summer campaign from July to August 2026 through three public events aimed at promoting its retirement financing offerings and financial education. HKMC Retire 3 covers the Reverse Mortgage Programme, the Policy Reverse Mortgage Programme and the HKMC Annuity Plan, and participants can receive gifts for attending.
The International Monetary Fund has assessed how tokenization could reshape financial infrastructure, monetary liabilities and financial stability. It identifies a shift toward hybrid blockchain models and highlights trade-offs across interoperability, governance, settlement and concentration. Regulatory priorities include safeguards for tokenized deposits and stablecoins, the role of tokenized central bank reserves and oversight of systemic private infrastructures.
The Vietnam State Securities Commission has selected DEAI Joint Stock Company to maintain its securities procedures chatbot application. The contract was awarded at VND 450 million against an estimated package value of VND 516.24 million, with a 365-day term from the contract’s effective date.
The Central Bank of Syria has opened a new branch in Idlib governorate as part of its plan to expand its reach across the country. The branch will manage public sector accounts, supply liquidity to banks, process transfers and settlements, and handle cash circulation and banknote replacement.
The Central Bank of Syria has opened an Idlib branch to restore its supervisory presence in the province and strengthen oversight of banking activity. The next phase includes reactivating public banks and bringing exchange and remittance companies under its supervision. Governor Safwat Raslan also said Syria had agreed with Turkish central bank and PTT officials to begin a gradual withdrawal of the Turkish lira from circulation while halting new injections.
The Financial System Supervisory Authority of Bolivia has intensified inspections of exchange houses across the country, focusing on USD rate display rules and compliance with the permitted BOB 0.10 buy-sell spread against the official Central Bank of Bolivia rate. It also closed establishments operating without a license and said the controls will continue permanently.
The Angola Capital Markets Commission used a banking sustainability conference to restate its focus on sustainable finance, ESG integration in the capital markets, and stronger regulation for sustainable investment. The event also highlighted regulatory and supervisory challenges in sustainable banking, including green instruments, international alignment, cooperation among authorities and market operators, and financing for sustainable projects.
The Angola Capital Markets Commission said it held a July 1 workshop for RECREDIT employees on the capital market as an investment alternative. The session covered how the market works, the commission’s regulatory role, available investment instruments, investor risk profiles and informed investment decision-making. It also included a question-and-answer segment on market regulation, supervision and development.
In a speech at the Asia Pacific Captive Forum, the Monetary Authority of Singapore said it will consult on a Protected Cell Company structure for captive insurance. The proposal would let firms segregate risks within legally ring-fenced cells and is intended to lower costs and broaden access to captive solutions. MAS also said the model could support insurance-linked securities and other risk financing arrangements.
The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission’s 2025 asset and wealth management survey shows record assets under management of HKD 42.2 trillion, up 20% year on year, supported in part by net fund inflows of HKD 2.1 trillion. Asset management and fund advisory assets rose to HKD 31 trillion, while private banking and private wealth management reached HKD 12.9 trillion. SFC-authorised Hong Kong-domiciled funds also expanded, with net asset value reaching HKD 2.3 trillion at end-2025 and HKD 2.6 trillion at end-May 2026.
The Swiss National Bank has published its Financial Stability Report 2026 on its website, together with an overview page containing selected contents.
The Central Bank of the Philippines has opened nominations for the Financial Health and Inclusion Excellence Awards through the Financial Inclusion Steering Committee it chairs. The awards cover 2022 to 2025 initiatives in digital finance, financial education and priority sectors, with entries assessed on impact, alignment with the national financial inclusion strategy, sustainability and innovation. Nominations close on 31 July 2026.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has launched a public beta of an improved companies and organisations register search service that users can opt to access alongside ASIC Connect. The new service provides fee-free company information through a redesigned search interface, while wholesale users gain new application programming interfaces for more secure access to company search data. It is the first in a series of RegistryConnect upgrades.
The Australian Securities & Investments Commission has cancelled Capital Guard AU Pty Ltd’s Australian Financial Services licence after finding it sold a fake bond, misled investors and provided false documents to an auditor. ASIC said the firm also had wider compliance, supervision and resourcing failures, and that the conduct created a risk of ongoing misconduct. The cancellation took effect on 29 June 2026, with the licence preserved until 29 June 2027 only for limited consumer protection purposes.
The Australian Securities & Investments Commission said a review of Financial Advisers Register records on the qualifications standard found 132 existing providers with no relevant qualifications or training marked. After intervention with 82 Australian financial services licensees, 106 records were corrected and 26 advisers lost authorisation to give personal advice to retail clients on relevant financial products. ASIC may carry out a further review and has told licensees to verify register entries, including not treating the former FASEA exam alone as meeting the standard.
The Financial Inclusion Steering Committee, chaired by the Central Bank of the Philippines, has opened nominations for the Financial Health and Inclusion Excellence Awards. The awards cover public and private sector projects implemented from 2022 to 2025 under the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion 2022-2028. Nominations close on 31 July 2026.
The Central Bank of Samoa announced a regulatory sandbox portal and launched the SaverLearning Samoa app as part of its financial inclusion and literacy work. The sandbox portal supports applications and communication around testing innovative financial products, while the app delivers digital financial literacy content on cybersecurity, scams and digital financial inclusion in English and Samoan. Digital financial service incentive rewards are due to be added to the app over the coming weeks.
The Central Bank of Mexico published the Financial System Stability Council's updated risk assessment, which concludes that Mexico's financial system remains solid and resilient. Commercial banks continue to exceed capital and liquidity minimums, and vulnerabilities at some nonbank intermediaries are not seen as a systemwide threat. The council highlighted persistent global geopolitical and financial risks and said it will continue close monitoring.
The Central Bank of Brazil has expanded access to foreign currency deposit accounts in Brazil for additional legal entities involved in exports, external borrowing and foreign investment. The rule adds new categories of resident and nonresident corporate users while keeping existing limits on domestic foreign currency payments and preserving anti-money laundering safeguards. It takes effect on Oct. 1, 2026.
The Argentina Securities Commission used a Senate event to present its Financial Education Programme and restate its focus on improving financial literacy, particularly for young people. Vice President Sonia Salvatierra highlighted outreach initiatives including a youth-focused audiovisual series, school activities, World Investor Week and support for events run with Junior Achievement Argentina.
The Bank of Namibia’s June 2026 Quarterly Bulletin says global real GDP grew moderately in the first quarter of 2026. Emerging Market and Developing Economies, especially India and China, outperformed Advanced Economies. US growth was supported by investment, consumption and government spending, while China’s export and infrastructure strength offset weak consumer demand and property activity.
The Central Bank of Iraq said its governor discussed banking and financial sector development with the speaker of parliament and presented a banking reform plan focused on modernization and infrastructure upgrades. The meeting also addressed current economic challenges and closer coordination between the legislature and monetary policy to improve bank performance. Both sides said they would continue working together on legislative and executive obstacles to financial stability.
The Dominican Republic Pensions Superintendency has approved the integration of AFP Popular and AFP Romana. AFP Romana members will be integrated into AFP Popular, with the firms stating that the move should strengthen operating capacity and service while not affecting members' funds or individual accounts. The transaction remains subject to the existing regulatory framework and supervisory oversight.
In a radio interview, the Dominican Republic's Pensions Superintendency said pension reform proposals under discussion would let workers with 15 years of contributions qualify for a lifetime inflation-adjusted guaranteed minimum pension, versus 25 years under the current framework. The package also would broaden permitted uses of voluntary supplementary pension savings while preserving mandatory retirement savings. The proposals are still in socialization before any submission to Congress, and the retirement age would not change for current affiliates.
The Pensions Superintendency and the Social Security Treasury have enabled a platform to collect employer supplementary contributions for Collective Supplementary Pension Plans. The system, developed with Unipago, is intended to provide a standardized collection channel in line with SIPEN Resolution 501-25. Employers must coordinate with their chosen pension fund administrator on registration and plan availability.
The Dominican Republic's Pensions Superintendency has launched a website section for its "Aquí Sabemos de Pensiones" seal, which certifies employers that provide pension education to staff. The page explains the certification process, including a requirement to train at least 70% of employees and renew the seal every two years. SIPEN said 24 companies have been certified and more than 13,000 employees trained under the program.
The Dominican Republic Superintendency of Banks held five sessions with supervised financial institutions and industry groups on cybersecurity, technology supervision and operational continuity. It said its internal strengthening in cybersecurity and risk management has supported the creation of a new Directorate of Technology and Information Security Supervision. The discussions also included a consumer protection perspective on complaints and the applicable regulatory framework.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Economic and Risk Analysis updated its public capital markets statistics and visualizations, adding new asset-backed securities and municipal advisor data tools. The first-quarter 2026 data show 99 IPOs raising more than USD 22 billion and 264 follow-on offerings raising more than USD 44.2 billion. IPO proceeds were about 86% higher than a year earlier.
The U.S. Department of Justice entered non-prosecution agreements with Alibaba and AUS Merchant Services requiring USD 600 million in penalties and forfeitures over failures to prevent illegal pharmaceuticals and related products from being sold into the United States through Alibaba platforms. Alibaba admitted failures tied to about 80,000 transactions, while AUS admitted weaknesses in payment monitoring and anti-money laundering controls. Both companies must strengthen compliance and continue cooperating with ongoing or future investigations.
The Algeria Market Authority reminded stock exchange intermediaries of their obligation to systematically issue clients an acknowledgment of receipt when securities buy or sell orders are lodged.
The U.S. House Financial Services Committee advanced 10 bills to the full House and reauthorized its Task Force on Monetary Policy, Treasury Market Resilience, and Economic Prosperity. The bills would change SEC governance, investor data handling, Fair Credit Reporting Act rules, credit reporting, fraud-related payment holds, earned wage access regulation and HUD support for heirs property owners.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency published the list of Community Reinvestment Act performance evaluations made public from June 1 to June 30, 2026. The release covers national banks, federal savings associations and insured federal branches of foreign banks, using the ratings categories outstanding, satisfactory, needs to improve and substantial noncompliance.
The New York State Department of Financial Services has issued guidance requiring motor vehicle insurers to incorporate expected savings from New York's Fiscal Year 2027 auto insurance reforms into pending and future rate filings. The reforms target fraud and litigation costs by expanding liability for staged accidents, tightening injury and damages standards, and requiring express prior approval for upward rate changes.
The Saudi Arabia Capital Market Authority approved Al Rajhi Capital’s public offer of the Heritage and Monuments Endowment Fund. It said the approval only confirms that legal requirements have been met and is not a recommendation to invest, urging investors to review the fund’s terms and conditions and risks carefully.
The Financial Markets Standards Board said its SSI standard has been recognized by the EU Industry Committee for T+1 as fully meeting EEA requirements for pre-settlement SSI data storage and exchange. With its EU-specific overlay, the standard also meets the minimum acceptable data standard for EEA markets. FMSB also pointed to revised templates and input guides released in June 2026 to support manual SSI processing and reduce settlement fails.
The Federal Reserve Board released initial findings from its 2025 triennial payments study showing that noncash payments rose to 236.6 billion in 2024 and have more than tripled since 2000. Cards remained the leading payment method by number, while ACH accounted for almost three quarters of noncash payments by value. Check payments and ATM cash withdrawals continued to decline.
Kazakhstan's financial market regulator and central bank have introduced LTV based annual effective interest rate caps for mortgage housing loans from Jan. 1, 2027. The cap will be 20% for loans with LTV up to and including 0.7 and 25% for loans above 0.7. The current 25% mortgage cap stays in place until then, and other product caps are unchanged.
The Egmont Group Secretariat is seeking a consultant to develop the next strategic plan for the global network of 182 Financial Intelligence Units. The work covers analysis, internal consultation and drafting, with the new plan due for approval by the Egmont Committee in May 2027 and endorsement by the Heads of Egmont Group FIUs in July 2027. Proposals are due by July 22, 2026.
The Czech National Bank published a working paper finding that tighter borrower-based mortgage limits reduce first-mortgage access more for middle-income households than for top-income households. Across 17 European countries over 2008 to 2019, middle-income households were about 2 percentage points less likely to obtain a first mortgage after tightening. The effect was driven mainly by loan-to-value limits and was stronger for younger middle-income households.
The Central Bank of Egypt said reports of new 25 and 50 piaster and EGP 1 banknote issues are incorrect and that no new paper notes of those denominations are being printed. Existing paper notes are older issues that remain legal tender, while any new 25, 50 and 100 piaster issues in recent years have been coins only.
Speaking at an American Chamber of Commerce event, the Egypt Financial Regulatory Authority said it is finalizing the framework to activate short selling and is prioritizing market maker arrangements, with stamp tax relief already available and further incentives under review. It also highlighted fintech, digital reporting and the FRA Sandbox as core priorities. In insurance, the authority said the rulebook under the 2024 Unified Insurance Law is close to completion after more than 80 decisions.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India has launched a Settlement Helpdesk Facility for applicants and prospective applicants. It will provide procedural guidance on settlement applications, support Indicative Amount calculations under the 2018 settlement regulations, and handle status queries on pending applications. SEBI has also issued a user manual for the facility.
In a published op-ed, Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Michael S. Selig attacked an Illinois law that he said imposes a 0.2% tax on many crypto asset transfers by state residents, including transactions with no realized gain. He argued the measure discriminates based on the technology used and could drive blockchain-related business and investment away from Illinois.