Financial Crime

PEPs & Sanctions

OFAC Announces Sanctions Against International Bank of Yemen

By Editors | 21/04/2025

OFAC said the bank enables the Houthis to make international transactions, supporting oil purchases, sanctions evasion, and the confiscation of assets from the group’s opponents

AI Risk & Governance

US Imposing New Controls on Chip Exports to China

By Manesh Samtani | 21/04/2025

US lawmakers accuse China’s DeepSeek are circumventing US export controls by smuggling chips through intermediary countries like Singapore

Anti-Bribery & Corruption

HKMA Calls on AIs to Join Banking Industry Integrity Charter

By Editors | 21/04/2025

The Charter was launched in October 2024 to enhance anti-corruption capabilities in Hong Kong’s banking sector. To date, 48 AIs have joined the initiative.

Credit Risk

China Issues New Regulatory Guidance for Bad Debt Managers

By Manesh Samtani | 20/04/2025

Financial asset management companies are encouraged to use “innovative” methods to mitigate risks and provide relief such as bridge financing to troubled enterprises that can be saved.

KYC & CDD

Pakistan to Introduce Centralised Beneficial Ownership Registry

By Mark Johnston | 18/04/2025

The UBO registry, accessible to financial institutions, is part of Pakistan’s broader efforts to align with FATF and OECD standards.

Credit Risk

Regulatory Crackdown on Household Lending Backfires in Korea

By Thisanka Siripala | 18/04/2025

Banks implemented repeated lending rate hikes last year while keeping deposit rates largely unchanged, resulting in record profits.

Credit Risk

RBI Releases New Consolidated Guidelines for Gold Loans

By Nithya Subramanian | 17/04/2025

The maximum permissible LTV ratio is 75% of the gold’s value. Any breach of the LTV limit for over 30 days will attract a 1% provisioning requirement.

Supervision & Enforcement

Singapore Sharpens Enforcement Focus on Money Laundering, Digital Assets, Scams

By Nathan Lynch | 17/04/2025

MAS has signposted a deliberate shift in enforcement priorities as financial crime risks soar across APAC, writes Nathan Lynch.

Conduct, Culture & Accountability

IBK’s Union to Pay Rewards for Whistleblower Reports

By Thisanka Siripala | 17/04/2025

The union representing IBK employees have introduced an initiative that incentivises whistleblowers for reporting misconduct.