The Financial Regulatory Authority

- Chairman of the Authority -

Decision of the Authority's Board of Directors No. (204) of 2020 dated 27/12/2020

Regarding Enhancing Gender Equality in Access to Non-Banking Financial Activities

The Board of Directors of the Financial Regulatory Authority Having reviewed the Constitution; and Law No. (54) of 1975 on Private Insurance Funds; and Law No. (10) of 1981 on Supervision and Regulation of Insurance in Egypt; and Law No. (95) of 1997 on the Capital Market; and Law No. (93) of 2000 on the Central Depository and Registration of Securities and Financial Instruments; and Law No. (148) of 2001 on Real Estate Financing; and Law No. (10) of 2009 Regulating Supervision over Non-Banking Financial Markets and Instruments; and Law No. (41) of 2014 Regulating the Activity of Financing Medium, Small, and Micro Enterprises; and Law No. (176) of 2018 Regulating the Activity of Financial Leasing and Hire Purchase; and Law No. (18) of 2020 Regulating the Activity of Consumer Financing; and Decision of the Authority's Board of Directors No. (187) of 2020 Regarding Establishing a Database for Companies and Entities Operating in Non-Banking Financial Activities Provided to Their Clients; and Decision of the Authority's Chairman No. (46) of 2019 Regarding Protecting Participants in the Non-Banking Financial Sector; and following the approval of the Authority's Board of Directors in its session held on 27/12/2020;

---

Decided

(Article One)

The provisions of this Decision shall apply as one of the requirements for issuing and maintaining the license to conduct the activity regarding enhancing gender equality in access to non-banking financial activities.

(Article Two)

Companies and entities licensed to conduct non-banking financial activities are prohibited from discriminating between their clients on the basis of gender (male and female).

Furthermore, the aforementioned companies and entities are obligated to formulate and implement a policy encompassing measures to enhance gender equality in access to non-banking financial activities, which shall specifically include:

• 1- Commitment to ensuring that transactions between the company or entity and its clients are conducted with justice, equality, fairness, and integrity between males and females at all stages of interaction.
• 2- Exercising additional care and attention towards low-income, less-educated clients, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, both male and female.

---

(Article Three)

Companies and entities licensed by the Authority to conduct non-banking financial activities are obligated to designate a department, specialized unit, or officer to review and examine client complaints, and to define the channels through which clients may submit complaints, ensuring diversity and ease of access; such as submitting complaints via regular or electronic mail, through the company's or entity's website, designating a complaint box at the company's or entity's branch, or specifying a dedicated phone number for this purpose.

The entity or company shall respond to complaints within two weeks of their submission, provided they are complete with the necessary documents for adjudication, and shall notify the complainant of the review results according to the method specified in the contract concluded between them.

(Article Four)

The Enforcement Sector - Central Complaints Administration - shall examine and study complaints submitted by relevant parties participating in non-banking financial activities regarding the implementation of this Decision, with responses to complainants to be issued within a period not exceeding one month from the submission of the documents specified by the Authority for adjudicating complaints, and taking necessary binding decisions regarding them.

(Article Five)

This Decision shall be published in the Egyptian Gazette and on the Authority's website, and shall take effect from the day following its publication in the Egyptian Gazette.

---

Chairman of the Board of Directors
Financial Regulatory Authority

Dr. Mohamed Omran

---

Smart Village, Building 136, Giza, Egypt
Postal Code: 110
Tel: +2-22534030
Fax: +2-225170036
WWW.FRA.GOV.EG

---

Building Bridges not Walls
We Are Bridges, Not Walls