2026-08-31
Added
The Securities Commission of The Bahamas has published three approach statements outlining how it carries out its core regulatory functions: supervision, examinations, and enforcement. Alongside these, it has published Supervision Service Standards and Examinations Service Standards, which take effect on September 1, 2026. These service standards establish timeframes within which the Commission commits to act on applications, filings, requests, and examination processes for its licensees and registrants. From the effective date, the Commission will begin tracking and measuring its own performance against these new standards.
SECURITIES COMMISSION OF THE BAHAMAS PUBLIC NOTICE No. 10 of 2026 31 August 2026 RE: Publication of the Commission’s Approach Statements and Service Standards The Securities Commission of The Bahamas (“the Commission”) has published three statements setting out how it carries out its core regulatory functions: Our Approach to Supervision, Our Approach to Examinations and Our Approach to Enforcement. Alongside these statements, the Commission has published its Supervision Service Standards and Examinations Service Standards. All five documents are available on the Commission’s website. Why we have published these documents. The Commission believes that regulation works best when regulated persons and the public can see how it works. The approach statements explain, in plain terms, how the Commission supervises its licensees and registrants, how it selects and conducts examinations, and how and why it takes enforcement action. They describe a risk-based and proportionate approach: the Commission directs its attention and resources to where the risks to investors, to clients and to the integrity of our markets are greatest, and it acts predictably, consistently and fairly when it intervenes. Publishing these statements allows licensees and registrants to understand what to expect from the Commission, to organise their own compliance arrangements with confidence, and to hold the Commission to the approach it has set for itself. The service standards. The Supervision Service Standards and Examinations Service Standards take effect on 1 September 2026. They set out the timeframes within which the Commission commits to act on applications, filings, requests and examination processes. These standards represent a commitment of the Commission’s Board to support financial services in The Bahamas; a well-regulated jurisdiction must also be a responsive one, and the timeliness of the regulator is part of the environment in which our industry competes. From 1 September 2026, the Commission will begin tracking and measuring its own performance against these standards. We are holding ourselves to account in the same way we expect our licensees and registrants to hold themselves to account. At the same time, the standards discipline the pace of our work, not its substance. The Commission will continue to maintain regulatory integrity, its independence, and principled soundness in its decision making. A commitment to timeliness is not a commitment to a
particular outcome, and no standard will cause the Commission to approve, clear or close a matter before it is satisfied that it is right to do so. Building our capacity to deliver. The publication of these documents marks the close of one phase of work and the opening of the next. The Commission is now investing in the internal systems, technology and data capability that will support the delivery of these standards and, over time, allow us to raise them. This work will modernise how information moves into, through and out of the Commission, and it will change a number of our internal processes as it proceeds. We ask our licensees, registrants and stakeholders to be patient with us as these changes take effect. Transitions of this kind are rarely seamless, and we would rather make the change well than make it invisibly. We also invite you to collaborate and partner with us; if there are ways in which the Commission can grow, improve or serve you better, we want to hear them. Suggestions may be sent to the Commission at info@scb.gov.bs, and we will treat every serious suggestion as exactly that. The Commission thanks the industry for its continued engagement and looks forward to working with you under these published standards. Any inquiries concerning this notice may be directed to the Commission at: Poinciana House North Building, 2nd Floor 31A East Bay Street P.O. Box N-8347 Nassau, The Bahamas Email: info@scb.gov.bs Telephone: 1 (242) 397-4100
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