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2026-05-21•Egypt•Egypt Financial Regulatory Authority
The Egypt Financial Regulatory Authority held a consultative meeting with insurance and reinsurance executives on planned reinsurance standards aligned with international practices and the Unified Insurance Law No. 155 of 2024. Proposals would require insurers to maintain a board-approved reinsurance policy, submit and update it with the authority, and implement procedures for monitoring reinsurance risk, including stress testing and capital impact analysis. The authority emphasized consistency between reinsurance policies and firms’ broader risk management plans and will continue market consultations before finalizing the framework.
Policy & regulationRules & requirementsOperational risk and resilience
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2026-05-21•United States•U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
The U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs published a letter from Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren and Senator Chris Van Hollen urging the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Reserve Board to deny Enova International’s application to become a bank holding company. The senators cite Enova’s history of high-cost lending, regulatory noncompliance, and targeting of financially vulnerable consumers, and argue that its planned acquisition of Grasshopper Bank N.A. would let a nonbank high-cost lender expand nationwide under federal preemption without adequate compliance and ability-to-repay controls.
Policy & regulationOtherLicence approval
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2026-05-21•United States•U.S. Department of the Treasury
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has designated nine individuals in Lebanon under Executive Order 13224 for allegedly obstructing Lebanon’s peace process and supporting Hizballah’s efforts to resist disarmament and maintain influence over state institutions. The designations target Hizballah political figures, Iranian and Amal Movement officials, and senior Lebanese security and military officers accused of providing material support. Their U.S.-linked property is blocked, U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealings with them, and foreign financial institutions risk secondary sanctions if they knowingly facilitate significant transactions.
EnforcementSanctions & designationsNew sanctions designations
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2026-05-21•Albania•Bank of Albania
The Bank of Albania reported that Governor Gent Sejko met India’s first ambassador to Albania, Ravindra Prasad Jaiswal, to discuss strengthening economic and financial cooperation. Sejko outlined Albania’s recent economic developments, monetary policy and financial system modernisation, noting a well-capitalised, liquid and profitable banking sector with low non-performing loans and rising credit. They also discussed financial innovation, technological change in banking and closer institutional, academic and research cooperation, with the ambassador signalling interest in deeper bilateral trade and financial ties.
OtherCross-border cooperation
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2026-05-21•Libya•Central Bank of Libya
The Central Bank of Libya announced that Tripoli will host the 5th Arab Conference on Savings and Financial Literacy from Sept. 7 to 9, 2026, in cooperation with Bahrain's Mena Money Foundation. The event will focus on financial literacy, financial inclusion and sustainable financial awareness. Participation will be free and open to everyone.
Financial literacy & educationFinancial literacy and education
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2026-05-21•United States•U.S. Financial Services Committee
The U.S. Financial Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Capital Markets held a hearing on whether Regulation National Market System and Rule 611 remain fit for purpose, including whether to rescind or revise the Order Protection Rule to reduce fragmentation and compliance burdens while preserving liquidity, retail access, and capital formation. Lawmakers and witnesses debated alternatives such as a stronger, data-driven FINRA best execution standard and expanded Rule 605 execution quality reporting, while exchanges and brokers warned that weakening incentives to display liquidity or restricting payment for order flow could erode the national best bid and offer benchmark and threaten zero-commission trading.
Policy & regulationReform agendas & prioritiesMarket development
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2026-05-21•Montenegro•Montenegro Capital Market Authority
The Montenegro Capital Market Authority said its president met OECD Finance and Entrepreneurship Directorate Director Carmine Di Noia to discuss financial literacy and investor education. The authority highlighted its 2023-2027 education program, youth-focused tools and digital content, while exploring closer technical cooperation and possible participation in OECD networks and projects.
Financial literacy & educationFinancial literacy and education
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2026-05-21•United States•U.S. Financial Services Committee
The U.S. Financial Services Committee’s National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions Subcommittee released opening remarks on modernizing the anti-money laundering framework, with Chairman Warren Davidson urging a shift in the Bank Secrecy Act from volume-driven reporting to a risk-based regime that raises legacy reporting thresholds and leverages artificial intelligence. Davidson highlighted low law-enforcement use of currency transaction reports, welcomed FinCEN’s April anti-money laundering program notice of proposed rulemaking but criticized its failure to revisit suspicious activity and currency transaction report thresholds, and cited beneficial ownership reporting as expanding burdens without clear law enforcement value.
Policy & regulationReform agendas & prioritiesAML and CFT
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2026-05-21•United States•U.S. Financial Services Committee
The U.S. House Financial Services Committee’s Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Artificial Intelligence Subcommittee held a hearing on bank-fintech partnerships, examining whether supervision and existing regulatory frameworks are keeping pace with their growing role in payments, credit and digital financial services. Witnesses highlighted benefits for consumers, small businesses and community banks, while stressing that banks remain the regulated core and must uphold compliance, consumer protection, data security and financial integrity standards. Members also cited a 2023 Government Accountability Office report urging examiner upskilling in fintech, information technology and digital assets.
Policy & regulationOtherFintech and insurtech
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2026-05-21•Global•World Federation of Exchanges
The World Federation of Exchanges has urged equity market regulators to consult listed issuers before allowing tokenised equities on crypto platforms and to deny third-party tokenised stocks exemptions from standard securities rules. It argues that such tokens, typically options or share mimics issued without issuer involvement, should meet the same disclosure, trading and post-trade standards as traditional securities and warns they create reputational risk, obscure token holder identification and may weaken price discovery, liquidity and the public equity market framework.
Policy & regulationGuidance & interpretationTokenization
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2026-05-21•Middle East•Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF)
The Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force held a regional workshop in Cairo on virtual assets and laundering of illicit proceeds from trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants, focusing on risks linked to virtual asset service providers, implementation of Financial Action Task Force Recommendation 15, and emerging criminal typologies. Around 50 participants from law enforcement, prosecution, Financial Intelligence Units, international organizations, and blockchain analytics platforms examined cryptocurrency-based money laundering, blockchain investigations, and how Web3, decentralized finance, stablecoins, and decentralized exchanges can facilitate illicit financial flows and organized crime.
Policy & regulationCooperationAML and CFTSupervision process and methodologies
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2026-05-21•Europe•European Central Bank
The European Central Bank published a lecture by Executive Board member Frank Elderson, who argued that climate change and nature degradation are material for inflation, monetary policy, financial stability and banking supervision, and highlighted climate litigation as a growing financial risk. He cited ECB analysis showing euro area firms’ and banks’ high dependence on ecosystem services and water-related risks, and noted updated, non-binding ECB good practices on climate and nature-related risk management. Elderson said the ECB will soon publish research on how nature degradation could affect probabilities of default and credit losses.
ResearchClimate risk and sustainable finance
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2026-05-21•Middle East•Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF)
The Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force held a regional workshop in Cairo on virtual assets and laundering of illicit proceeds from trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants, focusing on risks linked to virtual asset service providers and implementation of FATF Recommendation 15. Participants from law enforcement, prosecution, financial intelligence units, international organizations, and blockchain analytics platforms discussed cryptocurrency-based laundering methods, blockchain investigations, digital wallets and tracing techniques, and the use of Web3, decentralized finance, stablecoins and decentralized exchanges to facilitate illicit financial flows.
Policy & regulationCooperationAML and CFTSupervision process and methodologies
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2026-05-21•Isle of Man•Isle of Man Financial Services Authority
The Isle of Man Financial Services Authority’s May 2026 AML Focus newsletter outlines current AML/CFT/CFP supervisory workstreams, including updates on the National Risk Assessment, preparations for the MONEYVAL mutual evaluation, technology risk, and proposed changes to the beneficial ownership regime. It highlights newly published guides and webinars, notes that money laundering risk remains Medium High, and covers business and transaction risk assessments, AML/CFT country lists, virtual asset service provider developments, and related legislative initiatives.
SupervisionRisk monitoring & watch points
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2026-05-21•United Kingdom•HM Treasury
HM Treasury published a research note estimating the impact of 2022–2023 Energy Bill Support measures on Bank Rate and the cost of a new representative mortgage. It estimates that the GBP 40 billion support package could have increased the annual cost of a new GBP 215,000, 29-year mortgage by GBP 360 to GBP 850, with a midpoint of GBP 605, assuming full pass-through from the modelled Bank Rate increase.
ResearchOther
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2026-05-21•France•Bank of France
The Bank of France’s Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority (ACPR) has published its 2025 annual report, outlining its activities in a year marked by geopolitical shifts and economic uncertainty. The ACPR states that its 2026 work programme will prioritise heightened vigilance over risks to the financial system to preserve its soundness, and will issue a separate report on banking and insurance market figures in the third quarter of 2026.
SupervisionSupervision approach, priorities & toolkitAuditing
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2026-05-21•Georgia•National Bank of Georgia
National Bank of Georgia President Natia Turnava said the banking system remains highly resilient, citing strong capitalization, solid liquidity, high asset quality, historically low non-performing loans of 2.5%, total assets above GEL 108 billion and deposits near GEL 70 billion, with non-residents accounting for 20% to 25% of deposits. She highlighted global turbulence and dollarization risks and urged banks to expand regionally to diversify income, reduce reliance on the domestic market and strengthen Georgia’s role as a regional financial hub.
OtherFinancial stability and systemic riskMarket development
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2026-05-21•Global•World Bank
The World Bank’s Spring 2026 Yemen Economic Monitor reports Yemen’s economy remained under severe strain in 2025, with real gross domestic product contracting by 1.5 percent and projected to fall a further 0.5 percent in 2026 amid blocked oil exports, weak demand, and spillovers from the Middle East conflict. Fiscal space narrowed sharply as revenues dropped to 5.6 percent of gross domestic product and humanitarian financing fell, while exchange rate measures and external inflows, including Saudi support, temporarily stabilized the Yemeni rial and eased inflation. Nearly three-quarters of the population live below the poverty line, and the impact of the Internationally Recognized Government’s 2026 reform agenda and budget will hinge on continued implementation and sustained international support.
ResearchEconomic data and developments
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2026-05-21•Latvia•Central Bank of Latvia
The Central Bank of Latvia’s Supervision Committee has licensed Neverless SIA to provide crypto-asset services under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, making it the fourth firm authorised by the central bank under this EU framework. The licence covers custody and administration, exchange for funds and other crypto-assets, portfolio management, and transfer services for crypto-assets on behalf of clients, which may be offered across the EU via MiCA’s cross-border notification mechanism.
SupervisionAuthorisations & approvalsLicence approval
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2026-05-21•Global•International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund published a Country Focus article for Sub-Saharan Africa urging a shift from a state-led growth model toward one driven by private investment, productivity, and jobs, supported by structural reforms in governance, business regulation, market openness, and state-owned enterprises in energy and transport. IMF staff estimate that well-designed reforms, combined with macroeconomic stability, could raise output by about 20 percent over 5 to 10 years and address weak per capita income growth. The article stresses that reforms are more durable when backed by predictable institutions, political support, social protection for vulnerable households, and country-specific sequencing, including core governance in fragile states and transparency and sound revenue management in resource-rich economies.
Policy & regulationReform agendas & prioritiesOther
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2026-05-21•Global•International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund staff, in its 2026 Article IV concluding statement on France, reported slowing growth and warned that fiscal consolidation is too gradual and exposed to implementation risks. Staff projected real GDP growth of 0.9 percent in 2025 and 0.7 percent in 2026, and recommended a clearly specified multi-year strategy with frontloaded structural adjustment of about 0.8 percent of GDP annually over 2027-29 to reduce the deficit below 3 percent of GDP by 2029 and place debt on a downward path.
Policy & regulationReform agendas & prioritiesEconomic data and developments
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2026-05-21•Singapore•Monetary Authority of Singapore
The Monetary Authority of Singapore announced that the 13th Asian Monetary Policy Forum will be held in Singapore on 21–22 May, focusing on structural changes in the global economy, the international monetary system, trade and financial stability. The programme features a keynote by Professor Michael Spence on structural shifts including artificial intelligence, and sessions with European Central Bank Chief Economist Philip R. Lane and Professors Eswar Prasad and Douglas A. Irwin, plus a panel on risks from changes in the global financial system.
OtherMonetary policy decisions and developments
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2026-05-21•Italy•Bank of Italy
The Bank of Italy published updated balance of payments and international investment position statistics for March 2026, reporting a current account surplus of EUR 31.6 billion (1.4 per cent of GDP) over the preceding twelve months, up from EUR 19.0 billion a year earlier. The wider surplus reflected a shift in primary income to a EUR 3.7 billion surplus from a EUR 4.4 billion deficit and a larger goods surplus, while the financial account showed net foreign asset acquisitions of EUR 34.7 billion, down from EUR 40.7 billion.
Data & statisticsBalance of payments and other external statistics
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2026-05-21•Ukraine•Ukraine National Commission on Securities and Stock Market
The Ukraine National Commission on Securities and Stock Market has signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Ukraine Illicit Finance Capacity Development project to secure international technical assistance for countering illicit financial activity in the virtual asset market. The cooperation will support development of virtual asset regulation, specialist training, and enhanced supervision of virtual asset service providers, with the aim of strengthening oversight and reducing money laundering and illicit financing risks.
Policy & regulationCooperationCross-border cooperation
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2026-05-21•Russia•Central Bank of Russia
The Central Bank of Russia has recommended that credit institutions increase scrutiny of customers depositing large cash amounts, citing money laundering and other unlawful risks. Banks should conduct daily transaction analysis and apply specified criteria for individuals, legal entities and individual entrepreneurs, with exemptions where the customer’s financial position, reputation and source of funds are documented. The central bank said the approach aligns with Financial Action Task Force Recommendation 1 on identifying the source of funds.
Policy & regulationGuidance & interpretationAML and CFT
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2026-05-21•Russia•Central Bank of Russia
The Central Bank of Russia published its May 2026 monitoring of maximum interest rates on Russian ruble household deposits at the ten largest deposit-taking credit institutions, reporting an average maximum rate of 13.04% in both the first and second ten-day periods of May. It also provided reference data on changes in the monitoring results and average maximum deposit rates by maturity.
Data & statisticsFinancial and market indicators
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2026-05-21•Hungary•National Bank of Hungary
The National Bank of Hungary’s Housing Market Report shows nationwide house prices rose 23.5 per cent in 2025, or 19.0 per cent in real terms, leaving prices 22.5 per cent above levels justified by fundamentals by 2025 Q4. The Home Start Programme shifted demand toward first-time buyers, sharply increased subsidised housing lending and the share of loan-financed purchases, and likely contributed to higher prices. New housing supply is expanding, with occupancy permits up, building permits rising 37 per cent and the central bank expecting completions to reach 15,700 in 2026.
Data & statistics
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2026-05-21•Russia•Central Bank of Russia
The Central Bank of Russia updated its quarterly banking sector outlook, lowering the upper end of its 2026 forecasts for corporate claims, mortgage growth and consumer lending, while keeping the forecast for clients’ funds unchanged and raising the 2026 net profit forecast to RUB 3.4 trillion to RUB 3.9 trillion. In the first quarter of 2026, banks’ claims on companies rose 0.7%, mortgages 1.4% and consumer lending 0.3%, with clients’ funds flat. Banks reported RUB 1.2 trillion in net profit for the quarter, but the review warned that future profit growth may be constrained by higher loss provisions for highly leveraged companies.
Data & statisticsFinancial and market indicatorsSupervisory data
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2026-05-21•United States•Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
The US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency published its May 2026 enforcement actions, including a consent order against Community Federal Savings Bank for Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering deficiencies and an order of prohibition against a former JP Morgan Chase Bank associate for unauthorized withdrawals causing losses of at least USD 38,500. The OCC also terminated five prior enforcement actions against Axiom Bank, National Association, Cenlar Federal Savings Bank, Lincoln FSB of Nebraska, The First National Bank of Waverly, and The First National Bank of Williamson.
EnforcementInvestigations & enforcement actionsAML and CFT
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2026-05-21•Greece•Ministry of National Economy and Finance (Greece)
Greece’s Ministry of National Economy and Finance announced that Minister and Eurogroup President Kyriakos Pierrakakis will attend Eurogroup and informal ECOFIN meetings in Nicosia, where affordable housing will be the main agenda item alongside euro area macroeconomic developments and the impact of the Middle East crisis. Euro area finance ministers will examine causes of the housing crisis and policy options to improve access to affordable housing, receive an update on the digital euro, and discuss reforms to strengthen EU competitiveness and the growing use of stablecoins, including related financial stability and regulatory challenges.
Policy & regulationReform agendas & prioritiesEconomic data and developmentsFinancial stability and systemic risk
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2026-05-21•United States•Federal Reserve Board
The Federal Reserve Board issued a consent prohibition order against Nakia R. Logan, a former employee of Commerce Bank in Kansas City, Missouri. The action relates to fraudulent customer transactions.
EnforcementInvestigations & enforcement actionsFraud and scams
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2026-05-21•United States•Commodity Futures Trading Commission
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the National Hockey League have signed a memorandum of understanding to protect the integrity of professional hockey and related event contracts traded on CFTC-regulated exchanges. The agreement formalises confidential information sharing and regular communication on integrity issues and is intended to help protect prediction market participants from insider trading, fraud, and other abuses.
Policy & regulationCooperationMarket abuse
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2026-05-21•Sweden•Finansinspektionen
The Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority held a roundtable with the eight largest mortgage banks and published 2025 mortgage statistics as part of its follow-up to the new mortgage-lending law effective 1 April. The law codifies amortisation and loan-to-value requirements based largely on existing rules, while the 2025 data show higher new lending than in 2024, a 2 percent nominal increase in the mortgage stock, lower debt service burdens and stable debt collection claims. The authority will continue reviewing mortgage credit assessments and collecting annual data to monitor developments.
SupervisionRisk monitoring & watch pointsLending
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2026-05-21•Tajikistan•National Bank of the Republic of Tajikistan
The National Bank of the Republic of Tajikistan published the results of its 21 May 2026 foreign exchange intervention purchase auction, which attracted seven participants. Satisfied applications ranged from USD 500,000 to USD 7.25 million at a weighted average rate of 9.3048 USD/TJS.
Monetary policyMonetary policy instruments & operationsOther
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2026-05-21•United Kingdom•Payment Systems Regulator
The Payment Systems Regulator is consulting on a targeted regulatory financial reporting remedy requiring Mastercard and Visa to report disaggregated profit and loss data on their UK card operations, including contextual information, to support supervision of scheme and processing fees. The proposal follows the PSR’s market review, which found rising fees, limited competition and higher-than-expected profit margins, and sits alongside forthcoming final decisions on information, transparency and complexity, and pricing governance remedies.
Policy & regulationRules & requirementsActivity and performance reporting
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2026-05-21•Croatia•Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency
The Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency’s April 2026 report shows broad asset growth across pension funds, UCITS and insurance, alongside a sharp decline in Zagreb Stock Exchange trading volumes. Mandatory pension funds’ net assets rose 2.8% month on month to EUR 27.7bn, voluntary pension funds’ assets increased 2.9% to EUR 1.73bn, UCITS assets grew 2.2% to EUR 4.2bn, and insurance premiums for the first four months of 2026 rose 7.4% year on year to EUR 715.2m. Zagreb Stock Exchange turnover fell 51.2% from March to EUR 50.4m while market capitalisation increased 5.1% to EUR 57.9bn.
SupervisionRisk monitoring & watch points
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2026-05-21•Croatia•Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency
The Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency held its annual training for issuers of securities listed on the Zagreb Stock Exchange, co-organised with the Central Depository and Clearing Company and the Zagreb Stock Exchange. The event focused on regulatory developments affecting issuers, potential amendments to the Zagreb Stock Exchange Rules following changes to the Capital Market Act, and practical updates on issuer activities and general meeting processes.
Policy & regulationGuidance & interpretationSecurities offerings and listings
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2026-05-21•Ghana•Bank of Ghana
The Bank of Ghana Governor told the ACI FMA World Congress 2026 that recent macroeconomic stabilisation, including lower inflation, higher reserves and reduced policy rates, is enabling deeper financial market development. He outlined priorities on interoperable digital payments infrastructure, cross-border and wholesale e-Cedi use cases, and implementation of the 2025 Virtual Asset Service Providers Act with stronger fintech oversight and cybersecurity. He also highlighted work with regional partners on fintech licence passporting and harmonised payment rails to support a more connected African financial market.
Policy & regulationReform agendas & prioritiesFinancial stability and systemic riskMarket development
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2026-05-21•Netherlands•Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets
The Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets is reviewing under what conditions automatic rebalancing and automatic risk reduction, including life-cycle investing, can be offered within execution-only investment services. It will update its 2016 Guidance on the qualification of innovative services to reflect current execution-only developments, emphasising responsible innovation within legal limits, customer interests and alignment with the European landscape.
Policy & regulationGuidance & interpretationOther
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2026-05-21•Netherlands•Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets
In a keynote at the AFME Sustainability Conference in Amsterdam, Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets chair Laura van Geest said sustainability is shifting from a long-term ambition to an immediate economic necessity, citing energy security, costs and competitiveness. She called for continued financing of the transition despite its complexity and uncertainty.
Policy & regulationReform agendas & prioritiesClimate risk and sustainable finance
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2026-05-21•Netherlands•Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets
The Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets’ “Pensions sector at a glance 2026” report notes that although most members in defined contribution contracts can choose their own investments, few do so, especially younger members, and that the effects of the new pension system are only marginally visible in current data. The report introduces complaint statistics, recording 23,000 complaints in 2024, mainly about pension calculation and payment, pension funds’ financial position and member information, and stresses that all qualifying expressions must be registered and handled as formal complaints.
ResearchActivity and performance reporting
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2026-05-21•Iraq•Central Bank of Iraq
The Central Bank of Iraq’s Nineveh branch reported the completion of Financial Inclusion Week activities held from 27 April to 5 May 2026 across the governorates of Nineveh, Kirkuk and Salah al-Din. Banks and electronic payment companies participated in outreach events to promote financial inclusion, support economic stability and integrate different segments of society into the financial system.
Financial literacy & educationFinancial inclusion
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2026-05-21•United States•U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the National Futures Association signed a memorandum of understanding establishing a framework for cooperation and information sharing on areas of common regulatory interest. The non-binding arrangement covers SEC-regulated entities, NFA members and jointly regulated firms, and allows staff to share non-public examination information, risk assessments and market analyses, subject to confidentiality safeguards, while preserving each authority’s independent supervisory and enforcement powers.
Policy & regulationCooperationCross-border cooperation
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2026-05-21•Cyprus•Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission
The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission completed the fifth cycle of its school financial literacy lectures, delivering 18 sessions between March and May 2026 and reaching 3,450 students across all education levels. Conducted under Global Money Week 2026, the age-tailored lectures focused on personal finance, online scams, financial fraud and misleading investment promotions, emphasizing personal financial independence and a new Investor Guide under Cyprus’s National Strategy for Financial Literacy and Financial Education.
Financial literacy & educationFinancial literacy and education
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2026-05-21•Vietnam•Vietnam State Securities Commission
The Vietnam State Securities Commission has required 14 named individuals to pay a fee of VND 1,000,000 each for the issuance of a securities practice certificate under Ministry of Finance Circular 25/2022/TT-BTC. Payment may be made by bank transfer or directly to the commission, and failure to complete the procedure to receive the certificate within one year of the fee payment notice will result in cancellation of the certificate.
SupervisionAuthorisations & approvalsLicensing and supervisory fees
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2026-05-21•Brunei Darussalam•Central Bank of Brunei Darussalam
The Central Bank of Brunei Darussalam has amended its Guidelines on the FinTech Regulatory Sandbox to expand eligibility to qualified financial institutions alongside FinTech companies, broadening the sandbox’s scope as a controlled testing environment. The amendments refine suitability criteria for sandbox testing and update the application form, while maintaining safeguards and regulatory oversight to protect consumers, preserve market stability and support industry collaboration.
Policy & regulationGuidance & interpretationFintech and insurtech
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2026-05-21•United States•Federal Reserve Board
Federal Reserve Board staff introduced the Continuous Securities Long-Term dataset, a public source providing continuous monthly measures of U.S. cross-border securities holdings, transactions, and valuation changes from 1985 to the present, replacing stitched historical estimates. The dataset consolidates estimation approaches across three periods, incorporates aggregate and country-level foreign holdings of short-term U.S. Treasuries from the BL2 form, and notes limits in country, date, and security-level coverage due to confidentiality and other factors.
Data & statisticsFinancial and market indicatorsSupervisory data
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2026-05-21•Canada•Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions
The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions is consulting on targeted amendments to Guideline B-12 to update interest rate shock scenarios for interest rate risk in the banking book, aligning them with recent Basel Committee revisions and market experience. The recalibration extends the calibration period to December 2023 and adopts the Basel Committee’s methodology for low-rate environments, which OSFI links to more accurate risk information and greater consistency across institutions. OSFI is consulting on these changes alongside proposed amendments to Pillar 3 disclosure expectations.
Policy & regulationRules & requirementsRisk managementRegulatory reporting
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2026-05-21•Canada•Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions
The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions has launched a public consultation on draft revisions to its large exposure limits framework for small and medium sized banks. The proposal would extend the 2019 large exposure approach to Category 1 and Category 2 SMSBs, including a 25% of Tier 1 capital cap per counterparty or connected group, updated connected counterparty identification, netting of exposures in line with capital rules, and quarterly reporting, while removing Category 3 SMSBs from the guideline’s scope.
Policy & regulationRules & requirementsCredit riskPrudential risks
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2026-05-21•Canada•Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions
The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions has launched a consultation on targeted revisions to its Capital and Liquidity Treatment of Crypto-asset Exposures (Banking) Guideline. The main proposal would permit banks to recognize cross-exchange hedging for Group 2a crypto-assets traded on regulated exchanges when calculating capital requirements, while leaving risk weights and collateral eligibility unchanged. OSFI said the change reflects market developments and aims to better align capital and liquidity treatment with underlying risk, within a framework based on Basel Committee standards adapted for Canada.
Policy & regulationRules & requirementsCapital adequacyPrudential risks
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2026-05-21•Canada•Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions
The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions published a draft prudential package covering liquidity, capital, concentration and interest rate risk, and revised its intervention guidance for federally regulated deposit-taking institutions, to sharpen oversight of credit, liquidity and governance risks and clarify requirements. Proposals include new Liquidity Adequacy Requirements and Internal Liquidity Adequacy Assessment Process Guidelines, updated capital and liquidity treatment and public disclosure of crypto-asset exposures, modernised large exposure limits for smaller banks, and amended interest rate risk disclosure and shock methodologies. OSFI also updated its Guide to Intervention to reflect its expanded mandate on integrity and security and has begun analytical work on the appropriateness of insurance risk factors.
Policy & regulationRules & requirementsLiquidity riskCapital adequacy
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2026-05-21•Kyrgyzstan•National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic
The National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic reported that Swiss National Bank Chairman Martin Schlegel is paying an official visit, including a bilateral meeting with National Bank Chairman Almaz Baketaev. The two central banks reaffirmed plans to strengthen cooperation on capacity development, including gold and foreign exchange reserve management, and confirmed their interest in continuing close bilateral engagement.
Policy & regulationCooperationCross-border cooperation
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2026-05-21•Brazil•Brazil Securities Commission (CVM)
The Brazil Securities Commission (CVM) board rejected proposed settlement agreements in two administrative sanctioning proceedings involving All Bank Invest Investimentos e Serviços Ltda. and its managers, and Evandro Luiz de Sousa Jackson. In both cases, the CVM cited the seriousness of the alleged misconduct and the absence of adequate proposals to compensate diffuse damages or fully redress investor losses, with the Jackson case also classified in Group V of Annex A to CVM Resolution 45.
EnforcementInvestigations & enforcement actions
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2026-05-21•Global•Bank for International Settlements
The Bank for International Settlements published a working paper analysing how access to on-demand money via overdrafts and credit lines affects firms in production networks. It finds that firms in longer, more complex supply chains hold larger undrawn credit lines, experience sharper sales and output declines when financial conditions tighten, and transmit shocks along supply chains, with production-network spillovers accounting for about two-thirds of the total output effect.
Research
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2026-05-21•Thailand•Thailand Office of Insurance Commission
The Thailand Office of Insurance Commission reported a courtesy visit by Japan’s Financial Services Agency, where both authorities reaffirmed cooperation and knowledge exchange on insurance supervision. Discussions covered natural disaster preparedness, including a national catastrophe risk management mechanism, enhancements to the Risk-Based Capital framework, potential use of parametric insurance and catastrophe bonds, and life and health insurance responses to declining birth rates, an ageing society, rising medical costs and technology to improve system efficiency.
SupervisionCooperationSupervision process and methodologies
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2026-05-21•Liberia•Central Bank of Liberia
At the launch of Liberia’s National Economic Student Hub, Central Bank of Liberia Executive Governor Henry F. Saamoi said youth participation in economic policy and problem-solving is a national necessity. He also pointed to ongoing central bank reforms on payment systems, digital financial services, financial literacy and access to finance for young entrepreneurs.
Financial literacy & educationFinancial inclusion
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2026-05-21•Norway•Norwegian Finanstilsynet
The Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway and the Norwegian Data Protection Authority published the fifth report from their joint regulatory sandboxes on data sharing to combat economic crime, concluding that banks cannot replace mandatory suspicious transaction reporting with customer guidance for smaller and medium-sized tax-related irregularities, which prevented the planned sandbox pilot from proceeding. Dialogue with the Financial Intelligence Unit at Økokrim and the Norwegian Tax Administration found no basis for alternative reporting thresholds or a separate reporting channel for serious tax matters. The report recommends, within existing law, more standardised materiality assessments, improved tagging and metadata in suspicious transaction reports, more targeted customer information in high-risk situations, and quality measures beyond report volumes.
Policy & regulationImplementation, projects & pilotsRegulatory reporting
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2026-05-21•Angola•Ministry of Finance (Angola)
Angola’s Ministry of Finance stressed that price stability depends on institutional quality, regulatory predictability and coordination across state bodies, not only on monetary and fiscal tools, linking it to cost of living, business planning and policy effectiveness. The remarks highlighted that unpredictable regulation, weak coordination and fragmented institutional action can destabilise markets and raise costs, and underscored competition as a public good tied to consumer protection and confidence.
Policy & regulationOtherMonetary policy decisions and developments
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2026-05-21•Burundi•Bank of the Republic of Burundi
The Bank of the Republic of Burundi, with support from the World Bank’s PRETE project, held a workshop on a draft decree to amend the framework for movable security interests and establish operating rules for a fully electronic National Register of Movable Security Interests. The proposed register would receive and store notices, enable public searches, manage creditor priority, and provide secure data archiving, with the Bank acting as administrative authority responsible for technical and operational management, platform availability, data protection, maintenance, and statistics.
Policy & regulationRules & requirementsMarket infrastructure
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2026-05-21•Burundi•Bank of the Republic of Burundi
The Bank of the Republic of Burundi issued a communiqué responding to the conclusions of the International Monetary Fund mission conducted under Article IV. The communiqué addresses the findings and assessments set out in the mission’s report.
Policy & regulationCooperationEconomic data and developments
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2026-05-21•Norway•Norges Bank
Norges Bank Governor Ida Wolden Bache said the bank is modernising its monetary policy modelling framework, including a broad update of its main model NEMO to better capture abrupt economic shifts, international supply shocks and household cash-flow channels. She noted that earlier models underestimated the inflation impact of pandemic-related supply shocks and highlighted new research showing that unexpected interest rate increases gradually reduce inflation and dampen consumption, especially for highly indebted households.
ResearchMonetary policy decisions and developments
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2026-05-21•Canada•Payments Canada
Payments Canada, in its response to the Department of Finance consultation on a National Anti-Fraud Strategy, supports a coordinated framework across financial institutions, telecom providers and digital platforms, and calls for proportionate, consistent anti-fraud requirements for all payment participants, including non-federally regulated entities. It links its recommendations to the rollout of the Real-Time Rail and ISO 20022, highlighting the need for standardized real-time fraud controls, enhanced cross-sector information sharing under clear data governance, and a coordinated oversight model with aligned regulators and safeguarded law enforcement access to ecosystem insights.
Policy & regulationOtherAML and CFTPayments and payment systems
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2026-05-21•Australia•Australian Securities & Investments Commission
The Australian Securities & Investments Commission has appealed a Federal Court judgment dismissing its case against Nuix Limited over alleged continuous disclosure breaches and misleading market statements about financial performance. ASIC argues the primary judge erred in rejecting these allegations but is not appealing findings on alleged directors’ duties breaches. The case centred partly on Nuix’s forecast annualised contract value growth, a non-statutory metric ASIC says is relevant to investors’ assessment of underlying revenue growth and earnings potential.
EnforcementInvestigations & enforcement actionsAccounting and financial reportingCorporate governance
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2026-05-21•Montenegro•Montenegro Capital Market Authority
The Montenegro Capital Market Authority reported on a meeting between its president and the OECD Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs on strengthening cooperation in financial literacy and investor education. Discussions covered the authority’s Financial Education Development Programme 2023–2027, youth-focused tools and workshops, alignment with international standards, and potential participation in wider OECD regional networks and projects.
Financial literacy & educationFinancial literacy and education
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2026-05-21•Moldova•National Bank of Moldova
The National Bank of Moldova published aggregated April 2026 data on licensed banks’ foreign currency assets, liabilities and open foreign exchange positions, showing a broadly matched system-wide balance of MDL 55.29 billion in assets and MDL 55.25 billion in liabilities. Foreign currency loans, cash and placements, and required reserves were the main assets, and clients’ current accounts and term deposits the main liabilities. Reported open positions were MDL 229.15 million long and MDL 195.06 million short, with the largest long exposure in EUR, the largest short exposure in USD, and total regulatory capital at MDL 23.69 billion.
Data & statisticsCurrency and cash management
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2026-05-21•Saudi Arabia•Saudi Arabia Capital Markets Authority
The Saudi Arabia Capital Markets Authority reported that the Appeal Committee for the Resolution of Securities Disputes imposed about SAR 18 million in sanctions and employment bans on 11 former board and audit committee members of Middle East Healthcare Company (Saudi German Health) for manipulating financial statements between 2018 and 2021. The committee found they improperly recognized SAR 358,044,138 in revenue, overstating assets and revenues and creating a false impression of the company’s book value. Affected investors may seek compensation through the Committee for Resolution of Securities Disputes after filing a complaint with the CMA.
EnforcementInvestigations & enforcement actionsFinancial benchmarksMarket abuse
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2026-05-21•Luxembourg•Ministry of Finance (Luxembourg)
The Luxembourg Ministry of Finance announced that Finance Minister Gilles Roth and Swiss Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter signed an agreement in Bern to establish a structured bilateral dialogue on financial matters between the Luxembourg and Swiss financial centres. During the mission with Luxembourg for Finance, Roth also met senior Swiss financial executives on their activities in Luxembourg, discussed geoeconomic developments, and signed a letter of intent with the University of St Gallen to support an MBA programme and a St Gallen presence in Luxembourg.
Policy & regulationCooperationCross-border cooperation
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2026-05-21•Taiwan•Central Bank of Taiwan
The Central Bank of Taiwan reported that the weighted average interest rate on newly extended loans by the five major domestic banks increased by 0.101 percentage points in April 2026 to 2.206% from 2.105% in March, driven by higher rates across all loan categories, especially current operation loans. The rate excluding Treasury borrowings was also 2.206%, up 0.064 percentage points from 2.142%, as no Treasury borrowings were undertaken in April.
Data & statisticsFinancial and market indicators
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2026-05-21•India•Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India reported that the Council for Insurance Ombudsmen is conducting an orientation programme to strengthen institutional capacity, improve consistency in grievance redressal and address emerging issues. Senior officials urged more empathetic, policyholder-centric handling of complaints, greater use of digital tools and attention to operational gaps such as mis-selling, delays and low awareness of redressal channels. IRDAI noted that in 2025-26 Insurance Ombudsmen decided 41,055 grievances, with 79% resolved in favour of policyholders.
Policy & regulationImplementation, projects & pilotsOther
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2026-05-21•Czech Republic•Czech National Bank
At the European Supervisor Education Initiative Conference, Czech National Bank board member Jan Kubíček outlined the CNB’s shift from AI testing to deployment under an AI and Data Science programme to streamline routine work under strong governance and data protection. The CNB uses generative AI and specialist models to process regulatory documentation, support licensing including MiCA crypto-asset applications, handle complaints and inquiries, monitor financial influencers, and enhance economic analysis. Kubíček said supervised institutions must maintain robust governance, understand their models, and ensure outcomes are explainable, fair and aligned with regulatory expectations.
SupervisionSupervision approach, priorities & toolkitArtificial intelligence
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2026-05-21•Kazakhstan•Astana Financial Services Authority
The Astana Financial Services Authority’s 2025 Annual Report highlights strong growth in Astana International Financial Centre participants, with 1,467 new companies and a total of 4,954 from 91 countries. AFSA reports expansion in digital assets, investment funds and capital markets, including USD 10.58 billion in digital asset transactions, over USD 5.4 billion in assets under management and Astana International Exchange market capitalisation of USD 81.5 billion. The report also notes AFSA’s accession to IOSCO’s International Securities and Commodities Alerts Network to enhance information sharing against online investment fraud and illegal financial activity.
SupervisionOtherActivity and performance reporting
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2026-05-21•South Korea•Ministry of Economy & Finance (South Korea)
South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Inter-American Development Bank held their annual consultation on bilateral cooperation, focusing on operationalising the new AI Hub and broader support for Korean firms entering Latin America. They highlighted complementary demand and capabilities in artificial intelligence, digital and energy sectors, discussed deeper cooperation on AI projects, trust funds, co-financing, private investment and critical minerals, and agreed to work toward the Korea-Latin America Business Forum in Buenos Aires to advance Korean AI companies’ regional expansion.
Policy & regulationCooperationFintech and insurtechArtificial intelligence
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2026-05-21•United Kingdom•Prudential Regulation Authority
The Prudential Regulation Authority has issued final rules for insurance third-country branches, raising the Financial Services Compensation Scheme subsidiarisation threshold to GBP 600 million and replacing branch reporting waivers with quantitative reporting thresholds. It will discontinue quarterly reporting, move larger branches (at least GBP 1 billion in gross written premiums or GBP 2 billion in branch provisions) to the full reporting suite, and require smaller branches to resume two annual non-life claims templates. The PRA also embeds relief for pure reinsurance branches from branch investment rules, clarifies Own Risk and Solvency Assessment and resolution report expectations, restates selected European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority branch guidelines, and grants resolution report relief for branches writing only non-UK risks.
Policy & regulationRules & requirementsPrudential risks
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2026-05-21•South Korea•South Korea Financial Services Commission
The South Korea Financial Services Commission reviewed first-year progress under the Lee Jae Myung administration’s financial agenda, highlighting a shift from real estate toward capital markets and strategic industries, expanded support for vulnerable borrowers and small businesses, and stronger household debt and market risk management. Measures include stricter capital market rules, deployment of the KRW150 trillion National Growth Fund, capital rule changes to free KRW1.242 quadrillion for productive sectors, lower-cost policy microloans, delinquent debt purchases and write-offs, and tougher action against illegal lending and vishing. Next steps include a KRW10 trillion small business support program, an AI-based Small Business & Self-ownership Credit Bureau, expanded retail access to National Growth Fund investments, and a youth savings program.
Policy & regulationReform agendas & prioritiesMarket developmentFinancial inclusion
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2026-05-21•Estonia•Ministry of Finance (Estonia)
The Ministry of Finance (Estonia) announced government approval of legislative amendments that set clear, auditable rules for requesting bank data via the enforcement register for tax fraud and anti-money laundering purposes. The bill clarifies when and what bank data the Tax and Customs Board and the Financial Intelligence Unit may request, mandates justification and logging of each request, and requires post-fact notification in certain cases, without granting new powers over bank secrecy.
Policy & regulationRules & requirementsAML and CFT
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2026-05-21•Netherlands•De Nederlandsche Bank
De Nederlandsche Bank reported that Dutch households’ securities holdings rose by EUR 3.8 billion in the first quarter of 2026 to EUR 207.6 billion, driven by net purchases and exchange-rate gains despite market volatility. Households increased direct bond holdings by 22% to EUR 6.2 billion, mainly in government bonds, and saw the value of shareholdings in six large listed oil companies rise to EUR 5.3 billion, although they sold a net EUR 677 million of those shares, with more than 90% of exposures in Shell.
Data & statisticsFinancial and market indicatorsSupervisory data
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2026-05-21•Georgia•National Bank of Georgia
The National Bank of Georgia and Caucasus International University presented a short documentary series, “The Adventure of Georgian Money 30 Stories”, marking the 30th anniversary of the lari and tracing 26 centuries of Georgian monetary history. The films chronologically document the development of Georgia’s monetary and credit system, currency issuance and circulation, numismatic heritage and financial institutions, and aim to support financial education and public awareness.
Financial literacy & educationOther
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2026-05-21•France•France Autorite des marches financiers
The French Financial Markets Authority has published a sanctions committee decision dated 20 May 2026 in an insider dealing case concerning Ytane Mamou and Elie Houri. The decision relates specifically to alleged insider dealing activities by these individuals.
EnforcementInvestigations & enforcement actionsNew sanctions designations
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2026-05-21•France•France Autorite des marches financiers
The French Financial Markets Authority’s Sanctions Committee fined Ytane Mamou and his cousin Elie Houri a total of EUR 50,000 for insider dealing related to a takeover of a listed company. The committee found that Mamou used inside information to buy shares for himself and family members and recommended the investment to Houri, who also bought shares, and based its decision on trading patterns, timing, information transmission channels and the parties’ statements.
EnforcementInvestigations & enforcement actionsMarket abuse
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2026-05-21•Global•IOSCO
The International Organization of Securities Commissions has issued a consultation on intraday equity market liquidity and a report on extended trading hours. IOSCO proposes good practices for regulators and venues on monitoring liquidity shifts to the close, strengthening operational resilience and surveillance, and calibrating volatility controls. It finds extended hours trading remains uneven, venue-led and typically retail-driven, with lower liquidity and wider spreads than core sessions. Feedback will inform IOSCO’s potential future work, including on asset management, valuations, risk management and derivatives.
Policy & regulationInternational standards & recommendationsMarket risk and volatilityTrading
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2026-05-21•Philippines•Central Bank of the Philippines
The Central Bank of the Philippines is urging businesses to promote Personal Equity and Retirement Account (PERA) programs as voluntary retirement savings that supplement the Social Security System and Government Service Insurance System. It highlighted tax-exempt treatment for PERA investments, annual contribution limits of PHP 200,000 for locally employed and self-employed individuals and PHP 400,000 for overseas Filipinos, and a 150 percent tax deduction for private employers that match or exceed employees’ PERA contributions. The central bank cited East West Banking Corporation’s April 2026 launch of the first voluntary employer-sponsored PERA program by a universal bank and called on other banks and corporations to adopt similar schemes to broaden the investor base and deepen the capital market.
Policy & regulationGuidance & interpretationOther
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2026-05-21•Europe•European Central Bank
The European Central Bank published research analysing how different AI architectures may affect financial stability using a stylised mutual fund redemption game. Q-learning systems tend to coordinate on bank run-like mass redemptions due to a “hot stove” effect, while large language models generate more heterogeneous, less predictable decisions. Noisy private signals align beliefs but do not materially alter Q-learning behaviour. The authors highlight implications for investor protection, firms’ risk management and market design, and stress that the views expressed do not necessarily represent the ECB, Deutsche Bundesbank or the Eurosystem.
ResearchArtificial intelligence
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2026-05-21•Europe•European Central Bank
The European Central Bank reported the euro area current account surplus fell to EUR 15 billion in March 2026 and narrowed to EUR 275 billion, or 1.7% of GDP, over the 12 months to March, reflecting weaker balances across components. In the financial account, euro area residents recorded net direct investments of EUR 272 billion in non-euro area assets and net portfolio purchases of EUR 779 billion, while non-residents increased net purchases of euro area securities to EUR 981 billion, including EUR 545 billion in debt. The Eurosystem’s reserve assets declined to EUR 1,908.1 billion, mainly due to negative price changes from lower gold prices.
Data & statisticsBalance of payments and other external statistics
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2026-05-21•Australia•Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC)
The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre has ordered Bankstown District Sports Club Ltd to appoint an external auditor under section 162 of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006, citing weak anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing controls in its gambling operations. The AUSTRAC-defined audit will assess the club’s risk-based AML/CTF program, customer risk assessments and monitoring systems, with findings to inform further compliance measures or regulatory action.
SupervisionInterventionsAML and CFTCompliance
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2026-05-21•United Arab Emirates•Dubai International Financial Centre
The Dubai International Financial Centre announced that TMF Group has received Dubai Financial Services Authority approval to operate in the Centre as a Fund Administrator and Corporate Service Provider. The authorization enables TMF Group to support client incorporation and operations in DIFC and provide fund administration services to local and international asset managers, reflecting continued growth in the Centre’s funds ecosystem.
SupervisionAuthorisations & approvalsLicence approval
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2026-05-21•Kyrgyzstan•National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic
The National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic has suspended, from 21 to 23 May 2026 inclusive, the licences of Bishkek-based exchange bureaus Nursan Pro, Adex Cash and Archa Money. The authority cites violations of Kyrgyz legislation and its regulatory requirements.
SupervisionAuthorisations & approvalsUnlicensed or unauthorized activity
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2026-05-21•United Arab Emirates•ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority
The ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority has finalised enhancements to its anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing, counter-proliferation financing and sanctions framework, amending the Financial Services and Markets Regulations 2015 and the Anti-Money Laundering and Sanctions Rulebook. The changes align the regime with recent federal law developments and evolving international standards, including Financial Action Task Force recommendations, and are expected to have minimal impact on current compliance requirements.
Policy & regulationRules & requirementsAML and CFT
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2026-05-21•Vietnam•State Bank of Vietnam
The State Bank of Vietnam has issued a banking sector action programme for the government’s 2026–2030 development agenda, focusing on legal reform, proactive monetary policy and coordinated fiscal policy to support growth while maintaining inflation control and macroeconomic stability. The programme prioritises overhauling monetary and banking legislation, strengthening prudential and risk management frameworks, improving forecasting and data capabilities, directing credit towards productive and priority sectors, tightening oversight of risk-prone lending, and advancing bank restructuring, supervision, digital transformation, non-cash payments and anti-money laundering.
Policy & regulationReform agendas & prioritiesOther
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2026-05-21•Vietnam•State Bank of Vietnam
The State Bank of Vietnam reported on banking activity in Tuyen Quang, noting outstanding lending of VND 79.256 trillion at end-2025 and VND 79.627 trillion as of 30 April 2026, with credit focused on productive and priority sectors and tighter control over high-risk lending. Regional Branch 4 implemented measures on interest rates, borrower support, digital transformation, cashless payments and market management. Participants cited challenges in credit growth, deposit mobilisation, non-performing loans and cashless expansion, while the provincial chairman urged banks to improve credit quality, contain bad debts, maintain credit to growth sectors and step up action against illegal lending, money laundering and cybercrime.
Policy & regulationImplementation, projects & pilotsSupervision process and methodologiesActivity and performance reporting
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2026-05-21•Vietnam•State Bank of Vietnam
The State Bank of Vietnam reported that banking activity in Tuyen Quang remained stable, with outstanding loans reaching VND 79.627 trillion as of 30 April 2026 and credit focused on production, business and priority sectors. Authorities noted progress in digital transformation, cashless payments and management of foreign exchange, gold trading and cash circulation, while calling on banks to improve credit quality, control bad debts and combat illegal lending, money laundering and cybercrime.
SupervisionRisk monitoring & watch pointsOther
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2026-05-21•Kazakhstan•Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan’s Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market reminded microfinance organizations that interactions with borrowers must comply with the law on microfinance activities, including fair treatment, disclosure, prevention of unfair practices and proper handling of client appeals. The reminder clarifies debt settlement procedures, including timelines for notifying borrowers of overdue payments, borrower rights to request contract changes such as interest rate reductions or restructuring, and limits on the frequency of telephone contact with clients.
Policy & regulationGuidance & interpretationConsumer and investor protection
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2026-05-21•Zambia•Bank of Zambia
The Bank of Zambia published remarks from the 2026 CAMINEX expo that highlighted Zambia's copper production growth to more than 890,000 metric tonnes in 2025 from about 825,000 metric tonnes in 2024. The speech restated government measures to support mining investment, including policy reforms, a national aerial geophysical survey, local-content rules under Statutory Instrument No. 68, and energy and value-addition investment.
Policy & regulationReform agendas & prioritiesMarket development
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2026-05-21•The Gambia•Central Bank of the Gambia
The Central Bank of The Gambia’s Monetary Policy Committee kept the policy rate at 14%, the reserve requirement at 13% and the 5–15% standing facility corridor intact, saying resilient activity and a rise in headline inflation to 7.0% in April warrant a steady stance. It projects 2026 growth at 5.7%, flagged strong money and credit expansion and a wider current-account deficit, and reiterated readiness to tighten if inflation pressures intensify.
Monetary policyPolicy rate decisionsMonetary policy decisions and developments
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2026-05-21•Egypt•Central Bank of Egypt
The Central Bank of Egypt’s Monetary Policy Committee left its overnight deposit, lending, main operation and discount rates unchanged at 19.00 %, 20.00 %, 19.50 % and 19.50 % respectively, judging the existing “adequately positive” real margin sufficient as April headline inflation was 14.9 % and is expected to exceed the 7 ± 2 pp target later in 2026 before moderating toward target in H2 2027. The Committee flagged exchange-rate weakness, fiscal tightening and volatile global food and energy prices as upside risks and reaffirmed a tight stance until inflation is on course for the target.
Monetary policyPolicy rate decisionsMonetary policy decisions and developments
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2026-05-21•Australia•Australian Securities & Investments Commission
The Australian Securities & Investments Commission released new research on financial technology and regtech, urging faster adoption of market technologies and endorsing a principles-based regulatory approach focused on accountability, oversight, governance and conduct. ASIC highlighted strengths in buy-now-pay-later and real-time payments but noted gaps in automated insurance claims, robo-advice and tokenisation. It linked the research to its broader innovation agenda, including work on a potential digital financial market infrastructure sandbox, improved pathways from the regulatory sandbox to licensing, and a Financial Markets Innovation roundtable.
Policy & regulationGuidance & interpretationFintech and insurtechRegulatory burden
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2026-05-21•Moldova•National Bank of Moldova
The National Bank of Moldova’s April 2026 data show net foreign currency supply from individuals covered 80.5% of net demand from economic agents, down from 92.0% in March, prompting central bank net sales of EUR 14.1 million. Net supply from individuals rose 2.8% month-on-month to EUR 278.5 million, while net sales to legal entities increased 17.4% to EUR 345.9 million, with the January–April 2026 coverage ratio at 88.8% versus 87.1% a year earlier. EUR accounted for 73.0% of individuals’ net supply, USD 16.9% and other currencies 10.1%, as the average EUR/MDL rate edged up to 20.2124.
Data & statisticsBalance of payments and other external statistics
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2026-05-21•Mexico•Ministry of Finance & Public Credit (Mexico)
Mexico’s Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, through the Financial Intelligence Unit, has signed a collaboration agreement with the Attorney General’s Office of Michoacán to strengthen coordination on preventing, detecting and investigating illicit fund operations and related crimes. The agreement updates cooperation mechanisms for information exchange, enables mutual sharing of data and intelligence products, and provides for joint training and specialized working groups to enhance operational, technical and IT coordination and confidentiality safeguards.
Policy & regulationCooperationCross-border cooperation
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2026-05-21•United Kingdom•UK Parliament
The House of Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee has launched an inquiry into the regulation of the consumer market for home and travel insurance, including a call for evidence. The review will assess the effectiveness and enforcement of the current framework across insurance distribution, claims handling, rule enforcement and dispute resolution, and consider whether regulators or the Government should change their approach.
Policy & regulationReform agendas & prioritiesConsumer and investor protection
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2026-05-21•Asia•Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG)
The Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering said it held a regional mutual evaluation preparation workshop in the Philippines and conducted a preliminary preparation visit for the country ahead of its 2027 mutual evaluation. The workshop supported seven member jurisdictions due for assessment over the next two years, while the Philippines visit focused on roles, coordination and AML, CTF and CPF priorities under the Global Fifth Round process.
Policy & regulationCooperationAML and CFT
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2026-05-21•South Korea•Ministry of Economy & Finance (South Korea)
South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance has completed 25 of 39 measures in its foreign exchange and capital market roadmap for potential MSCI developed market index inclusion, with over 70% implementation expected in the first half of the year. It finalized reforms to the Registered Foreign Institution regime to simplify registration and reporting and improve KRW operational account usability. Recent steps include Korea Securities Depository changes allowing fund-by-fund settlement under nominee structures, acceptance of Legal Entity Identifier documents for foreign corporate account opening, and removal of trading hour limits on Eurex and FTSE KOSPI futures. Ongoing projects include a 24-hour domestic FX market pilot and an offshore KRW settlement network. The ministry also reviewed amendments to the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act to create a framework for monitoring cross-border virtual asset transfers by requiring virtual asset businesses to register and report transfers via the Bank of Korea’s FX system for sharing with tax, customs, supervisory and financial intelligence authorities.
Policy & regulationImplementation, projects & pilotsForeign exchange policy and markets