On Monday, January 29th, 2024, Radio Anguilla’s programme “Anguilla Rebranded Part 2” hosted by Keith “Stone” Greaves, featured two officers of the Anguilla Financial Services Commission (AFSC).
Deputy Director of Supervisions, Charonay Carty; and Regulator, Xavielle Edwards were interviewed concerning the 20th anniversary of the AFSC.
As part of activities to commemorate the anniversary, the Commission will be hosting its annual Anguilla FinTech and Compliance Conference on February 7th and February 8th 2024 under the theme ‘Resolve to Evolve’.
Ms. Carty spoke about the special two-day 2024 Conference. “In the month of February the Commission will be celebrating its twentieth anniversary. It is twenty years now since the Commission was established as a statutory body. Previously, the Commission formed part of the Financial Services Department of the Government of Anguilla, but it was in 2004 that it became a statutory body.
“Our 2024 Anguilla FinTech and Compliance Conference is usually held in December annually,” she said, “but since we have a whole month of activities planned for the 20th Anniversary, we decided to defer the conference from December 2023, and it is now scheduled for February 2024.”
Ms. Carty said that the conference will be held in a hybrid setting on the first day. Persons can join virtually, via the event platform, or they can attend in person at the Aurora Resort by registering. On the second day, however, attendance will be virtual only.
“There is a whole list of other events for the 20th Anniversary as well,” she said. “These activities are for both staff and key stakeholders to attend. Such stakeholders comprise Government Departments with which the Financial Services Commission is in partnership, as well as industry partners which the Commission works closely with in the financial services industry.”
When asked about the theme ‘Resolve to Evolve’, Ms. Carty said: “The theme is actually a slogan or tag line which we came up with in 2022. We decided to feature this slogan for all of our conferences going forward. So whereas the sub-themes for each year are different, this tagline ‘Resolve to Evolve’ remains our standard slogan.
“Since we are always trying to come up with new ways to constantly ensure that we are complying with international financial standards,” she said, “we are making our best efforts to ‘resolve’ challenging issues in order to ‘evolve’ as a jurisdiction that aligns itself in global compliance with financial services standards.”
Regulator, Xavielle Edwards gave a rundown of the topics for the opening day of the Conference: “On Day One, we will be looking at the subject ‘Anguilla’s Compliance and Cooperation with OECD’ (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development). This session will be facilitated by the Director for International Tax Cooperation and Compliance, Ms. Nordicia Lake.
“Another topic on that day will be ‘Understanding Terrorists and Proliferation Financing’, which will be presented by Director and Detective Inspector, Mr. Horace Edwards. Senior Crown Council in the AG’s Chambers, Ms. Erica Edwards will also present on this topic.
“In addition, there will be a presentation on Casting the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Net and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) which will be facilitated by Ms. Chavanis Honour, Manager of Governance and Compliance at Legal Management Consults Limited of Jamaica. The Keynote Address will be delivered by Mr. Kenneth Baker, Managing Director of the British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission,” he said.
The Anguillan Financial Services Commission is an autonomous regulatory authority responsible for the regulation, supervision and inspection of all financial services in and from within Anguilla, including insurance, banking, trustee business, company management, mutual funds business as well as the registration of companies, limited partnerships, intellectual property and ships.