2018-10-01 | cba-blob-8622The Central Bank of Aruba establishes a mandatory registration framework for money transaction companies, requiring them to maintain ethical operational management, secure bank guarantees, and submit annual audited reports. The ordinance mandates rigorous integrity and suitability assessments for directors, supervisory members, and qualifying shareholders to effectively counter money laundering and terrorist financing. Empowered with risk-oriented supervisory authority, the Bank may inspect records, issue binding directives, cancel registrations, or grant exemptions to preserve financial system stability.
Unofficial and not binding translation
State Ordinance containing regulations on the supervision of money transaction companies (State Ordinance Supervision Money Trans action Companies) (AB 2003 no. 60)
Section 1. General provisions Article 1 For the purposes of this State Ordinance and the provisions stipulated by virtue of this State Ordinance, the following terms shall be defined as stated below: Money Transaction: a. obtaining the disposal of monies or monetary instruments within the framework of a money transaction, in order to make these monies or monetary instruments - whether or not in the same form – payable or cause same to be made payable to a third party elsewhere, or paying or making payable monies or monetary instruments, after these monies or monetary instruments – whether or not in the same form – were made available elsewhere, on the understanding that this monetary transaction is an unconnected service; b. the exchange of coins or banknotes against other coins or banknotes or the payment of coins
2 or banknotes by presenting a credit card or debit card or against delivery of checks and money orders; c. other related activities designated by State Decree containing General Administrative Orders; qualifying holding: a direct or indirect interest of more than 10% of the subscribed share capital of a money transaction company, or the ability to exercise directly or indirectly more than 10 percent of the voting rights in a money transaction company, or the ability to exercise directly or indirectly any comparable control; Money laundering: an offence as meant in Articles 2:404, 2:405 and 2:406 of the Criminal Code of Aruba (AB 1991 no. GT 50); Terrorist financing: the criminal offense as meant in Article 2:55of the Criminal Code of Aruba; Third Party: a. the natural person who does not act as a representative of a money transaction company; b. the legal entity or company that does not form part of a credit institution as meant in Article 1, first paragraph, of the State Ordinance on the Supervision Credit System (Statute Publication Gazette [SPG] 1998, No. 16), of which a money transaction company forms part, nor the money transaction company itself;
3 Money Transaction Company: the natural person, legal entity or company that conducts money transactions as a profession or trade on behalf, or at the request of a Third Party, or that is engaged as a profession or trade in the conclusion thereof; Register: the register meant in Article 3, first paragraph; the Bank: the Central Bank of Aruba; the Minister: the Minister charged with handling the financial affairs. Article 2
4 b. is of the opinion that the integrity of the persons, referred to in Article 4, first paragraph, subparagraphs a, b, and c, is not beyond doubt; c. is of the opinion that the suitability of one or more of the persons, referred to in Article 4, first paragraph, subparagraph a or b, is insufficient, individually or jointly, in connection with the conduct of the money transaction business, or the performance of the duties in question at the money transaction company; d. has a reasonable suspicion that the company or a person as referred to in Article 4, first paragraph, subparagraphs a, b, or c, commits or will commit money laundering or terrorist financing; e. is of the opinion that the accounting procedures or operational management of the company are insufficient to promote and maintain an ethical operational management or to comply with the statutory obligations to which the company is subject. 3. There is question in any case of impairment of the integrity as meant in the second paragraph, sub paragraph a, if the Bank has a reasonable suspicion that the money transaction company or one or more of the persons meant in Article 4, first paragraph, subparagraphs a, b or c, commit or will commit money laundering or terrorist financing or involved in money laundering or terrorist financing . 4. A money transaction company that performs or intends to perform money transactions as mentioned in article 1, paragraph a, of the definition of money transaction, shall dispose of a bank guarantee on which one may exclusively draw a fter permission of the Bank; the Bank shall lay down the model of the bank guarantee, 5. The minimum amount of the bank guarantee as meant in the fourth paragraph, shall be fixed by State Decree containing General Administrative Orders. Article 4
5 a. the identity, background, and a certificate of good conduct, as well as other data to be determined by the Bank, based on which the Bank can ascertain the integrity and suitability of the directors and other persons who determine or co-determine the policy of the enterprise or institution; b. the identity, background, and a certificate of good conduct, as well as other data to be determined by the Bank, ba sed on which the Bank can ascertain the integrity and suitability of the members of the board of supervisory directors or of the body of the enter prise or institution that has a task similar to that of the board of supervisory directors; c. the identity, background, and a certificate of good conduct, as well as other data to be determined by the Bank, based on which the Bank can ascertain the integrity of those who hold a qualifying holding in the enterprise or institution and, if the holder of a qualifying holding is a legal entity, of the persons who determine or co-determine the day-to-day policy of this legal entity, as well as the extent of the qualifying holding in question; d. the name, address, and place of domicile, and the address and place of domicile of the branch offices; e. the contemplated operational management, including the measures aimed at the promotion and maintenance of an ethical operational management and the administrative organization; f. the number of registration with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry; g. the type of money transactions the enterprise carries out or intends to carry out. 2. If the Bank so desires with a view to a proper evaluation of the application, the applicant shall supply other or further informat ion or documents. The Bank shall decide on the application within thirteen weeks after it has received the supplementary data or documents. 3. A money transaction company shall pay the Bank a fee in respect of the application for registration in t he register, the amount of
6 which shall be fixed by State Decree containing General Administrative Orders. Article 5
7 2. At any rate, the policy and the operational management, referred to in the first paragraph, shall be aimed at: a. the countering conflicts of interests; b. the suppression of money laundering and terrorist financing; c. the compliance with rules laid down by or pursuant to the State Ordinance on the Prevention and Combating of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (AB 2011 No. 28) and other statutory regulations on the prevention and combating of money laundering and terrorist financing; d. the prevention of punishable offenses or other violations of the law by the money transaction company or its employees, which could affect the confidence in the enterprise or in the financial markets; e. the countering of relationships with clients or other business relationships, which could prejudice the confidence in the money transaction company or in the financial markets; f. the countering of other acts by the money transaction company or its employees, which are in conflict with generally accepted standards according to unwritten law to such an extent, that this could prejudice the confidence in the money transaction company or in the financial markets. 3. The Bank may give Money Transaction Companies directives with regard to the ethical conduct of the business and the way in which it is determined whether the integrity of a person, referred to in Article 4, first paragraph, subparagraphs a, b, and c, is beyond doubt, and whether this person is suitable, and which facts and circumstances are to be taken into consideration for that purpose. 4. Insofar as necessary for the performance of the duty imposed on it by this Stat e Ordinance, the Bank may give Money Transaction Companies entered in the register directives with regard to the accounting procedures and operational manageme nt, including the financial accounts and internal control.
8 5. The directives, referred to in the third paragraph, may be related to the implementation of the regulations of other state ordinances. 6. The Bank may give a money transaction company instructions with regard to the way in which directives as referred to in the third and fourth paragraph shall be implemented. Article 6a A money transaction company shall not be associated through persons or legal entities in a formal or factual control structure: a. that is so nontransparent that it constitutes or can constitute an obstacle to the adequate exercise of supervision of that enterprise; b. if foreign law applies to these persons or legal entities, and this foreign law constitutes or can constitute an obstacle to the adequate exercise of supervision of the money transaction company. Article 7
9 to the State Ordinance on the Prevention and Combating of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing or in other statutory regulations on the prevention and combating of money laundering and terrorist financing. 2. The Bank may cancel the entry in the register of a money transaction company: a. in the event the company evidently does not conduct money transactions any longer, or is no longer active in the effectuation thereof as a profession or trade; b. in the event the company does not fulfill its statutory obligations, including the obligations by virtue of the Articles 6, 9 and 23; c. in the event it is of the opinion based on an investigation into the integrity of one of the persons mentioned in Article 4, first paragraph, subparagraphs a, b, c and g, or it is of the opinion based on the management or administrative organization of the company, that the integrity of the financial system is impaired or it is plausible that it could be impaired; d. in the event it receives information that, if it had been familiar with this information at the moment of the application for registration, this would have led to it that the application would not have been granted; e. if one of the managing directors or the person who determines the day-to-day operations of the company, or co-determine same, has been declared bankrupt. 3. There is question in any case of impairment of the integrity as meant in the second paragraph, subparagraph c, if there is reasonable suspicion that: a. the money transaction company or one or more persons meant in the opening lines of this paragraph commit or will commit money laundering or terrorist financing, or are involved in money laundering or terrorist financing; b. the management or administrative organiza tion of a money transaction company is insufficient to promote or maintain an
10 integer conduct of business or to comply with other statutory obligations imposed on the company. 4. If the Bank cancels the registration at a moment that the money transaction company has obtained monies or monetary instruments at its disposal within the framework of a money transaction, and it did not yet made the payment or made this payable, it shall give this company directions as regards to the way of settlement of the money transaction in question. Article 8
11 2. An application to grant an exemption shall be filed in writing with the Bank. Article 4, first, second and third paragraph shall apply mutates mutandis. 3. The application shall be rejected if, based on an evaluation of the integrity of one of the persons meant in Article 4, first paragraph, subparagraphs a through c, or based on the management or the administrative organization of a company, the Bank is of the opinion that: a. the interests this State Ordinance seeks to protect are insufficiently safeguarded, or b. the integrity of the financial system is impaired by this, or it is plausible that it could be impaired, or c. it is insufficient to promote or maintain a sound management or to comply with the other statutory obligations resting on the company. 4. The Articles 3, third paragraph, and 8, first paragraph shall apply mutates mutandis. Article 11
12 3. The Articles 8, first paragraph, and 9 shall apply mutatis mutandis to natural persons or legal entities that were granted an exemption. Section 5. Supervision and supply of information Article 12
13 Article 13 Insofar as the information referred to in Article 12 , third paragraph, subparagraph a, concerns data provided to the Bank pursuant to another statutory regulation, the company can comply with the obligation mentioned in Article 12, sixth paragraph, as regards that information by considering these data to have been provided pursuant to this State Ordinance. Article 14 Without prejudice to Article 6, the Bank may lay down rules with a view to a sound management of the Money Transaction Companies, which in any case shall be understood to be rules c oncerning: a. the prevention of conflict of interest; b. the prevention of involvement of the company and of its employees in offenses harming the confidence in the Money Transaction business or in the financial markets in general; c. the prevention of involvement of the company and of its employees in acts that are otherwise so unacceptable in social and economic life that they harm the confidence in the Money Transaction business or in the financial markets in general; d. the establishment of the identity, the nature and the background of the clients of the company. Article 15
14 allow this, in which case one may restrict oneself to a review opinion of an auditor. 3. If the Bank is of the opinion that an auditor does not provide or no longer provides the necessary guarantees that he can fulfill his task properly in relation to a money transaction company, the Bank may decide with respect to this auditor that he is no longer authorized to make the reports meant in the second paragraph in relation to that money transaction company. 4. The Bank shall notify the Money Transaction Company in question immediately of a decision as meant in the third paragraph. Article 16 Without prejudice to Article 6, if a circumstance presents itself in a money transaction company as meant in Article 3, second paragraph, subparagraphs a, d, or e; or in Article 7, second paragraph, subparagraphs b through e, the Bank may give the company or a person as meant in Article 4, first paragraph, subparagraphs a, b or c, an instruction to follow a certain course of action as regards named subjects, in order to achieve that the circumstance in question occurs no longer. The company, or the person in question, shall comply with the instruction within a reasonable term to be determined by the Bank. Section 6. Exchange of information Article 17 A service provider as referred to in Article 1, first paragraph, of the State Ordinance on the Prevention and Suppression of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing shall not provide any services to money transaction companies to which the prohibition referred to in Article 2, first paragraph, applies, insofar as it knows or can suspect in reason.
15 Article 18
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17 3. If a foreign supervisory body requests the Bank to use data or information, which the Bank provided pursuant to the first or second paragraph, for a purpose other than for which they have been provided, the Bank shall only comply with that request, if: a. the contemplated use is not contrary to the first or second paragraph; or b. the supervisory body concerned could obtain these data or information from Aruba, for that other purpose, in a way other than provided for in this State Ordinance, with due observance of the applicable legal procedures. Article 20
18 Article 19, first paragraph. Article 12, third through sixth paragraph, shall be equa lly applicable. 2. At the request of a body as referred to in the first paragraph, the Bank may ask data and information from or conduct an investigation or cause same to be conducted at a money transaction company or at anyone who can be suspected in reason of disposing of data or information that may be important to the requesting body. 3. The person who has been asked for data or information as referred to in the second paragraph shall provide same within a reasonable period to be set by the Bank. 4. The person at whom an investigation as referred to in the second paragraph is conducted shall give all cooperation necessary for the proper conduct of that investigation. Article 12, third and fourth paragraph, shall be equally applicable. Article 22 The Bank may allow that an officer of a body as referred to in Article 19, first paragraph, participates in the implementation of a request as referred to in the second paragraph. The officer referred to in the first sentence shall comply with the in structions of the employee of the Bank, charged with the implementation of the request. The order referred to in Article 21, fourth paragraph, shall also apply to the officer referred to in the first sentence. Section 7. Administrative sanctions Article 23
19 paragraph, second sentence, 12, sixth paragraph, 14 through 17, 21, third and fourth paragraph, and 22, third sentence, the Bank may impose a penalty charge order. 2. For the violation of the provisions laid down by or pursuant to this State Ordinance, the Bank may also impose an administrative fine not exceedin g Afl. 1,000,000.- per separate violation. 3. Violations as referred to in the first and second paragraph can be committed by natural persons and legal entities. Article 1:127, second and third paragraph, of the Criminal Code of Aruba shall be equally applicable. 4. The Bank shall adopt guidelines for the exercise of the powers, referred to in the first and second paragraph, and shall record them in a policy document. The policy document shall at any rate contain a description of the procedures to be foll owed when exercising the powers, referred to in the first and second paragraph. The policy document, referred to in the first sentence, as well as all modifications to be introduced to same afterwards shall be announced in advance in a manner to be determi ned by the Bank. 5. By State Decree containing General Administrative Orders, rules shall be laid down with regard to the principles for the determination of the amount of the penalty charge order and the administrative fine per violation. The violations shall be classified into categories based on the severity of the violation, with the corresponding basic amounts, minimum amounts, and maximum amounts. 6. Forfeited penalties and administrative fines shall accrue to the Bank. Article 23a
20 administrative fine, referred to in Article 23, second paragraph, shall be Afl. 2,000,000.- for each separate violation. 2. Notwithstanding Article 23, second paragraph, the Bank may set the amount of the administrative fine at a maximum of twice the amount of the benefit obtained by the violator as a result of the violation, if his benefit exceeds Afl. 1,000,000.-. Article 23b
21 infringement of the provisions of or by virtue of this State Ordinance, is not obligated to make any statement concerning that matter. He shall be informed hereof, before he will be asked verbally for information. Article 25
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23 c. the order or the statutory provision from which the amount due arises; d. the costs of the demand and of the writ of execution; e. that it may be enforced for the account of the violator. 5. For a period of six weeks after the date of service, an objection may be lodged against the writ of execution. Objection shall be lodged against the Bank with the Court and in the manner stipulated for filing claims. Provided it has been lodged in a timely fashion and in the prescribed manner, the objection shall suspend the enforcement. Article 28
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25 Article 31