The Bank of Finland will hold two Europe Forum sessions on Aug. 27, 2026, focused on the digital euro and European human capital. Discussions will cover the Eurosystem’s preparations for possible digital euro issuance during 2029, as well as slowing labor productivity and the risk of declining human capital.
The Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway fined FGH Revisjon AS NOK 400,000 for serious breaches in two audits of companies receiving public funding. The firm failed to obtain sufficient audit evidence on fraud risks, related-party transactions, revenue and significant costs, and did not exercise adequate professional skepticism. The authority will follow up the firm through future supervision.
The French Ministry of Economics and Finance has published 2025 activity reports and highlights for 10 departments and bodies. The publications review their main actions across taxation, competition, anti-corruption, business policy, state administration and Treasury operations.
Bank Indonesia held the BI-Rate at 5.75% in August to stabilise the rupiah amid global volatility, keep inflation within the 2.5±1% target in 2026 and 2027, and support sustainable growth. It also maintained the Deposit Facility rate at 4.75% and Lending Facility rate at 6.50%, alongside foreign-exchange intervention and liquidity support.
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde called for deeper EU single market and capital market integration to help innovative firms scale and spread AI across the economy. She highlighted national market barriers and a widening financing gap for EU scale-ups. EU leaders are seeking agreement on the market integration package by the end of 2026.
The Bank of the Lao PDR and the Bank of Korea signed a 2026 knowledge partnership agreement focused on financial inclusion in Laos. The project will assess access to financial services and develop policy recommendations for individuals and businesses.
The Bank of the Lao PDR directed its southern branch to implement Party congress resolutions after reviewing first-half performance and plans for the remainder of 2026. Priorities include stronger governance, greater self-reliance, measures to prevent misconduct and increased accountability for meeting work plans.
Bank of Mongolia Governor S. Narantsogt highlighted the potential effects of climate and environmental risks on price and financial stability. He called for coordinated international action and closer alignment of public, private and development finance to support environmental investment.
The Central Reserve Bank of Peru reported that terms of trade increased 11.2% year over year in June 2026, driven by higher copper and oil export prices. The index fell 1.5% from May as export prices declined and import prices remained stable.
Argentina's Superintendent of Insurance Guillermo Plate outlined plans for more efficient, risk-based supervision and fewer unnecessary regulatory requirements. He reviewed seven authorization revocations involving insurers that failed to meet required standards and called for a review of rules governing the Occupational Risks Reserve Fund.
The U.S. House Committee on Financial Services announced its September 2026 schedule of hearings and a legislative markup. The agenda covers the international financial system, community bank capital access, prudential regulators and the future of central banking.
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority outlined stronger operational resilience, investment governance and liquidity expectations for superannuation trustees as retirement-age accounts are projected to grow by 3.9 million over the next decade. It also highlighted continued scrutiny of Retirement Income Covenant compliance, revised capital treatment for longevity products and increased reporting transparency.
South Korea's Ministry of Economy and Finance plans to raise foreign bank branches’ foreign currency borrowing reporting threshold and cash pooling limit from USD 50 million to at least USD 100 million. It also plans to launch an offshore won settlement system in January 2027 and further ease foreign exchange regulations.
Bank of Korea data show household credit rose by KRW 25.9 trillion, or 1.3%, to KRW 2,019.8 trillion at end-June 2026. Household loans accounted for KRW 24.9 trillion of the quarterly increase, while merchandise credit rose by KRW 0.9 trillion.
The Bank of the Lao P.D.R. briefed central region banking officials on party congress resolutions and reviewed the Savannakhet branch’s first-half performance and second-half 2026 plans. Leaders called for stronger management accountability, political education and inspections to support implementation and prevent misconduct.
The Vietnam State Securities Commission has opened enrollment for a corporate governance certification course in Hanoi on Sept. 16-17, 2026. The VND 3.5 million course will cover international practices and updated Vietnamese requirements, including the 2026 Corporate Governance Code for Public Companies.
South Korea’s Financial Services Commission will expand the joint financial sector job fair from once to twice a year in 2027, with one event held outside the capital region. The 2026 fair brings together a record 82 institutions and expands recruitment-linked interviews, practical job training and virtual support for job seekers.
The Argentina Securities Commission revised transparency and suitability rules for capital markets participants, including an expanded material events regime and higher reporting thresholds for certain disclosures. The reform centralizes filings, extends specified deadlines and permits professional experience to demonstrate competency.
The Argentina Securities Commission simplified the process for amending the management regulations of open-end and closed-end mutual funds. Complete updated regulations will replace addenda and consolidated texts, while material changes must be clearly identified in the submission form.
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority plans to consult in September 2026 on stronger investment governance requirements for all superannuation trustees, with the greatest impact expected for platform trustees. It would also set capital requirements for trustees offering higher risk investment options under the Government’s proposed member compensation scheme, with detailed consultation to follow once legislation is finalized.
The Central Bank of Cuba detailed the security features of the new CUP 2,000 and CUP 5,000 banknotes as their distribution through bank branches increases. The notes include watermarks, moving security threads, raised printing and color-shifting national flower motifs, and are the first Cuban banknotes to feature female patriots.
The Central Bank of Venezuela reported annual GDP growth of 7.14% in the second quarter of 2026, extending the rise in economic activity to 21 consecutive quarters. Oil activity grew 9.10%, while non-oil activity increased 5.79%.
The Superintendency of Banks of Panama held its third academic session with the Judicial Branch under their cooperation agreement. The initiative supports legal training, exchanges of good practices and coordination between banking supervision and the administration of justice.
The Central Bank of Uruguay unanimously held its Monetary Policy Rate at 5.75%, citing inflation projections and expectations aligned with the 4.5% target despite below-potential economic activity. Annual inflation was 4.27% in July, while persistent services inflation and international and climate risks warrant monitoring.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission proposed a tailored regime for certain investment contracts involving crypto assets, including exemptions of up to USD 5 million over four years and USD 75 million per 12-month period. The framework would impose tailored disclosures and reporting, create a conditional safe harbor when promised essential managerial efforts end, and preempt state registration requirements for covered transactions. Comments are due within 60 days after Federal Register publication.
The Bermuda Ministry of Finance is leading a delegation to the SALT Wyoming Blockchain Symposium to deepen U.S. regulatory cooperation and promote the island’s onchain economy. Meetings will address stablecoin adoption, regulatory comparability, tokenization and the expansion of digital asset firms under Bermuda’s licensing framework.
The Central Bank of Libya discussed its economic and financial reform efforts and potential capacity-building cooperation with UK financial institutions.
The Canadian Securities Administrators reviewed progress in the first year of its 2025-2028 Business Plan. Its work focused on market competitiveness, regulatory burden and investor protection, including stronger fraud enforcement, regulatory modernization and support for financial innovation.
The Central Bank of Paraguay and the National Institute of Statistics are conducting studies to update the measurement of the economy and support a base-year change and institutional-sector accounts. Information collected from businesses will be used only for statistical purposes and protected by confidentiality requirements.
The Egmont Group has published a vacancy for a Senior Officer to support its AML/CFT policy, research and international cooperation work. The Ottawa-based role is full time, but the listed application deadline of September 11, 2025, has passed.
The Angola Capital Markets Commission held its inaugural annual supervision forum with regulated entities. Discussions covered new requirements for intermediaries, public offerings, collective investment advertising and investor protection, with further dialogue and training initiatives planned.
The European Central Bank is seeking specialist input on secure hardware standards for offline digital euro functionality in smartphones. Feedback will inform preparations for a pilot in the second half of 2027, and interested organizations must apply by September 25, 2026.
The Bank of Ghana has inaugurated the Non-Interest Financial Advisory Council to advise on the governance, regulation and supervision of non-interest finance. The council will support relevant financial regulators and promote consistent product standards without displacing their regulatory or enforcement powers.
The South African Reserve Bank named Michaelhouse the winner of its 2026 Monetary Policy Committee Schools Challenge, followed by Hoërskool Garsfontein and Bridge House College. More than 180 schools entered, with 10 finalists presenting and defending monetary policy decisions before senior central bank economists.
The South African Reserve Bank reviewed the 2026 Monetary Policy Committee Schools Challenge, in which 184 schools submitted simulated policy statements. Ten teams reached the finals and defended their policy rate decisions before a judging panel.
The Superintendency of Banks of Panama requested USD 27.4 million for fiscal 2027 to strengthen technology, cybersecurity, supervision and specialist staffing. The ministry recommended USD 25.7 million, creating a USD 1.7 million gap that would mainly constrain investment in technical personnel.
Central Bank of Peru Governor Julio Velarde highlighted low inflation and the importance of technically grounded monetary policy after receiving an honorary doctorate. He also emphasized merit-based recruitment, civil service improvement and education.
The Central Bank of Iceland will publish its monetary policy statement and Monetary Bulletin on August 19 at 08:30 and 08:35, respectively. A press conference on both publications will follow at 09:30.
The Brazil Securities Commission is updating automatic-registration filings for offerings reviewed by self-regulatory organizations and for offerings by unregistered issuers. The changes add mandatory review and issuer-status fields and replace dedicated self-regulatory filing requests with existing equivalents. Implementation will be completed by Aug. 24, 2026.
The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority notified financial intermediaries of updated Swiss sanctions lists concerning Iran, effective at 11 p.m. on August 18, 2026. Firms must apply the prohibitions, freeze relevant assets and report affected relationships while continuing to meet separate anti-money laundering review and reporting duties.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission proposed CPO and related CTA registration exemptions for certain SEC-registered investment advisers serving commodity pools limited to sophisticated investors. It would also double the small pool exemption threshold to USD 800,000 while retaining the 15-participant limit. Comments are due 45 days after Federal Register publication.
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario has initiated enforcement action against K. Banx Mortgages Ltd. and three individuals over alleged suitability, recordkeeping, compliance, obstruction and false-information breaches. It proposes licence action against two individuals and administrative penalties totaling CAD 85,000, with all respondents requesting a Financial Services Tribunal hearing.
The European Securities and Markets Authority has proposed annual reporting for clearing members and clients using recognised third-country CCPs, with new fields limited to gaps in existing supervisory data. Reports would cover average cleared values and initial margin, use CSV format and generally be due by the last business day of January. Feedback is due by Oct. 12, 2026.
The Bank of Israel reported current one-year inflation expectations ranging from 1.4% in the capital market to 2.0% for professional forecasts and bank internal-rate measures. Longer-term forward expectations stand at 1.7% for both the three-to-five-year and five-to-10-year periods.
The Central Bank of San Marino and the National Statistical Office signed an agreement to strengthen cooperation on national statistics. It establishes systematic data sharing, operational coordination and a joint technical committee, including for balance of payments, international investment position and economic activity data.
The European Central Bank reported a EUR 4.285 billion weekly increase in total assets and liabilities to EUR 5.927 trillion as of Aug. 14. Deposit facility balances rose by EUR 23.113 billion, while credit institutions’ current account balances fell by EUR 15.202 billion.
The International Financial Services Centres Authority has proposed recognizing operating and hybrid leases of GPUs and connected data center equipment as a financial product in GIFT IFSC. The framework would support commercial access to high-cost AI infrastructure and attract leasing activity, with comments due by Aug. 28, 2026.
The Bank of the Republic of Burundi trained commercial bank, postal and central bank staff on integrating the country’s payment system with COMESA infrastructure. REPSS and the DRPP are intended to support faster, cheaper and more accessible cross-border payments, including settlement in local currencies.
The Bank of Thailand reported a resilient banking system in the second quarter of 2026, with loans growing 2% year over year and the NPL ratio stable at 2.82%. Corporate lending expanded, but SME and consumer loans contracted amid high credit risks. The central bank flagged continued asset-quality risks from Middle East uncertainty and Thailand’s uneven economic recovery.
Digital payments increased to 64.7 percent of Philippine retail payments in 2025, reaching the national target range for 2023-2028. QR Ph transactions exceeded card transactions for the first time, while PESONet transfers surpassed check payments.
The Central Bank of Comoros is withdrawing money market liquidity through a competitive tender.
The Indonesia Financial Services Authority is delivering financial education for scouts aged 11 to 15 at the 2026 National Scout Jamboree. The program covers saving, money management and appropriate use of financial services, with 3,500 scouts attending a hybrid event and about 7,500 visiting an interactive Financial Village Tent.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority warned the public about fraudulent banking websites, fake login screens, phishing emails and other scams. Customers who disclosed information or conducted transactions should contact their bank and the Hong Kong Police Force.
Jordan's tourism income rose 24.9% year over year in July 2026 to USD 926.2 million, while the seven-month total slipped 0.2% to USD 4.42 billion. Tourism spending abroad increased 0.3% in July but declined 7.5% over the first seven months.
The Bank of Mongolia joined the NGFS on Aug. 11, 2026. It plans to use the network’s practices and methodologies to strengthen sustainable finance policy, align regulation with global standards and support financial stability and green investment.
The Central Bank of Cyprus published its first nationwide survey on citizens’ knowledge, awareness and acceptance of the digital euro.
The South African Reserve Bank published its monthly list of registered and active institutional investors from the Portfolio Investment Reporting System.
The Egypt Financial Regulatory Authority completed medical insurance training for 30 Egypt Healthcare Authority officials under the agencies’ May cooperation agreement. The program covered claims, underwriting, pricing, cost controls, fraud prevention and the Unified Insurance Law, with further cooperation planned on healthcare financing, insurance and technology.
The International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation Trustees approved a five-year funding plan for the IASB and ISSB, including resourcing for the ISSB through 2031. A Geneva office is expected to open in mid-2027 as the ISSB’s seat. Proposed constitutional amendments would reduce each board to 10 members from 2028, with comments due by Nov. 16, 2026.
The Bank of France estimates that GDP will grow by around 0.2% in the third quarter of 2026 after moderate activity growth in July. Businesses expect activity to pick up in August, while easing price increases suggest much of the pass-through from higher spring input costs has occurred. The forecast remains subject to geopolitical and weather-related uncertainty.
The Central Bank of Jordan fined a company JOD 100,000 for providing insurance-related services without a license. It also imposed JOD 20,000 fines on each person found unlawfully marketing insurance contracts or soliciting customers, with repeat violations potentially subject to fines of up to JOD 400,000.
Germany's Federal Financial Supervisory Authority has consolidated its administrative practice on takeover offers, pricing, control acquisitions, exemptions and disclosures. The circular confirms binding offer terms, liquidity forecasting for exchange offers and mandatory-offer obligations when the 30% control threshold is crossed, even briefly. It also clarifies bidder disclosures and the timing and content of target-company board opinions.
Kazakhstan’s financial regulator warned of phone scams that use psychological pressure, impersonation and second mobile devices to control victims’ mobile banking activity. Customers should reject requests to share codes or screens, transfer funds or complete biometric checks, and should contact their bank directly through official channels.
The Vietnam State Securities Commission has instructed four individuals to pay VND 1 million each to complete the securities practitioner certificate process. Issued certificates will be canceled if recipients do not complete the collection procedure within one year of the notification.
Taiwan's Financial Supervisory Commission reported that domestic banks’ SME lending rose by TWD 113 billion in June to TWD 11.2911 trillion. SME loans’ shares of enterprise lending declined, while the average nonperforming loan ratio remained at 0.20%.
The UK Financial Conduct Authority has banned Beauforce senior manager Howard Roland Duckett from financial services for a serious lack of honesty and integrity. The action follows findings that he lied and relied on fabricated evidence to avoid a 10-year director disqualification, which he then failed to disclose to the FCA.
The Central Bank of Russia’s Business Climate Index improved to minus 2.4 points in August from minus 3.5 points in July as companies’ output and demand expectations strengthened. Price expectations edged up, while assessments of lending conditions became more positive.
The Thailand Securities and Exchange Commission filed a criminal complaint against Yim Leak for reporting an M Vision share disposal more than three years after the deadline. The case was referred to police after he did not consent to settlement before the Criminal Fining Committee.
China's National Financial Regulatory Administration backed mainland insurers' investment in Hong Kong-listed ETFs through Stock Connect as part of broader support for mainland-Hong Kong financial market connectivity.
The Central Bank of Cyprus reported total assets and liabilities of EUR 27.53 billion as of July 31, 2026. Eurosystem claims dominated assets, while monetary policy-related liabilities to euro-area credit institutions were the largest liability.
The National Securities and Stock Market Commission of Ukraine scheduled a meeting for noon on August 19, 2026, with the agenda available online.
The National Securities and Stock Market Commission of Ukraine has received its first foreign regulatory requests following its July accession to the IOSCO information-sharing pact. The framework enables confidential, reciprocal exchanges of transaction, account ownership and beneficial ownership data for cross-border investigations.
Mandatory Provident Fund assets reached a record HKD 1.67 trillion at the end of June 2026, an increase of 174% over 10 years. Default Investment Strategy funds held HKD 188.6 billion across 3.73 million accounts, while tax-deductible voluntary contribution accounts grew 18% year on year to 104,000.
The Reserve Bank of Fiji marked the completion of the Fiji Innovation Hub’s pilot year with its inaugural fintech showcase, featuring the first Activator Programme cohort and startup pitches. The Hub will continue its accelerator and mentorship activities, with two new sponsors joining for its second year.
The Central Bank of Mongolia outlined plans to deepen climate risk integration across banking supervision, monetary policy and financial stability policy. Green loans reached MNT 2.55 trillion, or 5.7 percent of total banking-sector lending, against targets of 6 percent in 2026 and at least 10 percent by 2030. Supporting measures include lower risk weights for green building loans, longer terms for qualifying green consumer loans and climate scenario analysis of systemically important banks.
The Saudi Arabia Insurance Authority imposed a SAR 300,000 fine on an insurance ancillary services provider for deficiencies in enhanced due diligence and money laundering and terrorist financing risk assessments.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has disqualified Alan MacDonald from managing corporations until July 29, 2031, over his involvement in three company failures. The companies owed unsecured creditors AUD 1.18 million, while ASIC’s findings included tax and record-keeping failures, suspected insolvent trading, misuse of company assets and illegal phoenix activity.
The Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market of the Republic of Kazakhstan issued Nurbank JSC an expanded universal banking license covering interbank loans, guarantees, sureties and other interbank operations.
The Central Bank of the Philippines urged regional regulators to adopt more proactive and collaborative supervision of interconnected geopolitical, technological, cyber and climate risks. It has increased its use of artificial intelligence and supervisory technology and integrated climate risks into supervision.
The National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic fined a Bishkek-based payment organization and payment system operator KGS 220,000 for noncompliance with mandatory instructions and deficiencies in anti-money laundering and criminal financing controls.
The Vietnam State Securities Commission has directed three individuals to pay a VND 1 million fee each for their securities practitioner certificates. Certificates will be canceled if the fee is not paid within one year of the notice.
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is consulting on modernising an operationally reliable but outdated retail payment system, with potential annual GDP gains estimated at NZD 0.7 billion to NZD 1.3 billion. Its two workstreams will assess infrastructure options and reforms to leadership, regulation and governance. Feedback is due by Oct. 27, 2026, with ministerial advice expected in the first half of 2027.
The Thailand Office of Insurance Commission reported a 27% year-on-year fall in first-half insurance complaints to 5,906. It is strengthening claims and complaint handling and will inspect insurers with the five highest 2025 complaint ratios for compliance with service and market conduct standards.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged three former Tricolor executives over an alleged scheme to double pledge subprime auto loans and misrepresent collateral across more than USD 1.9 billion of asset-backed securities offerings. About USD 945 million remained outstanding at Tricolor’s bankruptcy, while the alleged misconduct contributed to an estimated USD 800 million collateral shortfall.
The Pension Fund for Well-Being’s Technical Committee approved its audited 2025 financial statements and first-quarter 2026 financial and risk reports. It also approved an annual report on compliance with conflict-of-interest guidelines for the Central Bank of Mexico’s contracting activities as central bank and fund trustee.
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority has imposed licence conditions on Bendigo Bank after an independent analysis identified pervasive and longstanding non-financial risk management weaknesses. The bank must complete a comprehensive rectification program subject to independent assurance and board attestation, while an existing AUD 50 million operational risk capital add-on will remain in place.
The Central Bank of Aruba reported that consumer confidence rose 0.9 point to 93.6 in the second quarter of 2026 but remained in pessimistic territory. Economic and employment concerns eased, although 93% of respondents still expected prices to rise over the next six months.
Jamaica's Ministry of Finance and the Public Service announced R Brian Langrin's appointment as Bank of Jamaica governor from Aug. 19, 2026, succeeding Richard Byles. Langrin brings more than two decades of central banking and financial stability experience and has identified stable inflation, financial stability and financial system modernization as priorities.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners appointed Jeff Ahlers as chief financial officer, effective Aug. 17. Ahlers joins from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City and will be based in Kansas City, Missouri.
Payments Canada research found that 52% of Canadians consider real-time payments appealing and 34% are likely to switch once they become available. The Real-Time Rail is scheduled to launch in the fourth quarter of 2026, enabling instant, data-rich account-to-account payments around the clock.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation announced supervisory relief for institutions in four Mississippi counties affected by Tropical Storm Arthur. Measures include flexibility for prudent loan modifications, possible Community Reinvestment Act consideration, case-by-case reporting and publishing relief, and expedited temporary banking facilities.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is providing regulatory relief to institutions affected by severe storms in Lewis and Upshur counties, West Virginia. Measures include flexibility for prudent loan modifications, reporting and publishing requirements, and temporary banking facilities, as well as potential Community Reinvestment Act consideration for disaster recovery activities.
The Brazil Securities Commission has lifted the suspension of Riza Securitizadora’s real estate receivables certificate offering. The offeror remedied the identified irregularities within the required deadline.
The Brazil Securities Commission lifted the suspension of public offerings of senior and mezzanine subordinated units in NTZ Financiamentos Longo Prazo FIDC Resp Limitada. The offeror remedied the identified irregularities within the required deadline.
Mexico's financial consumer protection commission handled 3,528 complaints in Oaxaca from January through July 2026, up 3.5% year over year, and recovered MXN 18.5 million for users in completed cases. Multiple banking generated 57.6% of complaints, while 29.5% of all cases involved possible fraud.
The Central Bank of The Bahamas has ordered an immediate halt to unauthorized production, sale and distribution of items resembling Bahamian banknotes and coins. Prior written approval is required, and noncompliance may result in enforcement action or referral for prosecution.
The Bank of Ghana outlined four priorities to help narrow Ghana’s nearly USD 4.8 billion annual SME financing gap. It plans to implement open banking and open finance frameworks, review eligible security, coordinate regulation across financial sectors and expand cyber resilience support. The measures are intended to turn transaction data and receivables into stronger foundations for credit access.
Bank of Ghana Governor Johnson Pandit Asiama reviewed reforms to strengthen monetary policy transparency, analysis and transmission. These include majority voting and individual statements for policy committee members, the return of the 14-day bill as the main open market operations instrument, a rules-based foreign exchange framework, enhanced inflation data and forecasting, and stronger legal safeguards.
The Central Bank of Russia has outlined a phased reform requiring depositories and registrars to adopt unified electronic message formats based on ISO 20022. The change is expected to lower costs and enable faster securities transfers, settlements and corporate actions, with implementation taking at least five years.
The Central Bank of Ecuador reported that the terms-of-trade index fell 12.29% year over year to 90.26 points in June 2026. Import prices rose 19.73%, driven by fuels and lubricants, while export prices increased 5.02% and export volumes declined 6.13%.