The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) have signed a FinTech Agreement that allows referrals of innovative businesses between the two authorities. The Agreement reflects the commitment of both authorities to support the continuous development of FinTech and innovation to deliver new and enhanced financial services to manage risks better, reduce costs, and increase efficiency.
2 The Agreement centres on a referral mechanism which will enable the authorities to refer FinTech companies to each other, as well as facilitate the sharing of information on financial sector innovation in their respective markets. Both authorities have also agreed to work on joint innovation projects on the application of key technologies such as digital and mobile payments, blockchain and distributed ledgers, big data, and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs).
3 Mr Ian Johnston, Chief Executive at the DFSA, said, “We are pleased to formalise an agreement with MAS to support the growth of innovation in financial services. Cooperation between MAS and the DFSA will help create synergies and greater understanding between our two markets and will enable FinTech firms to extend their reach globally.”
4 Mr Sopnendu Mohanty, Chief FinTech Officer at MAS, said, “The rising FinTech boom in the Middle East creates new opportunities for the region and beyond. Through this FinTech cooperation with DFSA, we look forward to closer interactions between our markets, and for FinTech firms in Singapore to capture these new opportunities and grow the FinTech landscape.”
5 The collaboration in FinTech builds upon the long-standing relationship between the DFSA and MAS, who already have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) since 2008. The MOU fosters supervisory cooperation in banking, insurance and capital markets. It also facilitates the exchange of information for supervisory purposes between the two authorities.
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About the Monetary Authority of Singapore
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is Singapore’s central bank and integrated financial regulator. As central bank, MAS promotes sustained, non-inflationary economic growth through the conduct of monetary policy and close macroeconomic surveillance and analysis. It manages Singapore’s exchange rate, official foreign reserves, and liquidity in the banking sector. As an integrated financial supervisor, MAS fosters a sound financial services sector through its prudential oversight of all financial institutions in Singapore – banks, insurers, capital market intermediaries, financial advisors, and stock exchanges. It is also responsible for well-functioning financial markets, sound conduct, and investor education. MAS also works with the financial industry to promote Singapore as a dynamic international financial centre. It facilitates the development of infrastructure, adoption of technology, and upgrading of skills in the financial industry.
About the Dubai Financial Services Authority
The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) is the independent regulator of financial services conducted in or from the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), a purpose-built financial free-zone in Dubai. The DFSA’s regulatory mandate covers asset management, banking and credit services, securities, collective investment funds, custody and trust services, commodities futures trading, Islamic finance, insurance, an international equities exchange and an international commodities derivatives exchange. In addition to regulating financial and ancillary services, the DFSA is responsible for supervising and enforcing Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) requirements applicable in the DIFC. The DFSA also exercises delegated enforcement powers under the DIFC Companies Law. These include powers to investigate the affairs of DIFC companies and partnerships where a material breach of DIFC Companies Law is suspected and to pursue enforcement remedies available to the Registrar of Companies (Roc).
Ian Johnston was appointed as Chief Executive of the DFSA in June 2012. Mr Johnston joined the DFSA in November 2006, as a Managing Director, to head the Policy and Legal Services Division.
