Since December 2014, The KYC Registry has been adopted by more than 2,600 financial institutions globally to complement existing compliance programs. In Latin America, the Registry is used by domestic and international banks in every country across the region. In addition to financial institutions, several jurisdictions have endorsed the Registry through Central Banks or financial communities, including Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, Panama, and Costa Rica.

Katia Moroni, Funding, FI & Distribution Executive Director, Banco Original, says: “This new process will help the market to optimize all KYC related activities and on-boarding processes. Having adhered recently, we know that KYC Swift Registry’s team makes a detailed evaluation of each and every document uploaded, double-checking all the information provided by the institution. For us, this is a guarantee that you will obtain the most accurate information on the client you are analysing.”

Fedra Ware, Practice Lead Compliance Services Latin America, SWIFT, adds: “With heightened expectations from regulators across the board for improved levels of transparency, banks in Latin America need to demonstrate a steadfast commitment to financial crime compliance. Small and medium banks in Brazil, similar to Banco Original, face the same challenges as those of larger institutions. The KYC Registry provides these smaller banks with an efficient and reliable solution to better manage KYC processes and help them remain competitive in the market. ”

The KYC Registry, operated by SWIFT, provides KYC information for correspondent banks as well as fund distributors and custodians. Banks contribute an agreed ‘baseline’ set of data and documents for validation by SWIFT, which contributors can then share with their counterparties. Each bank retains ownership of its own information, as well as control over which other institutions can view it. Banks are not charged for data contribution or for using the Registry to share their KYC information with other users.

Each enrolled institution can also order its SWIFT Traffic Profile as an additional service and share this set of reports with its counterparties at its discretion. The SWIFT Traffic Profile helps banks understand potential risks in their correspondent networks by providing a single, aggregated view of their transaction activity with higher-risk jurisdictions. It helps banks active in such jurisdictions to protect their connection to the global financial system by enabling them to demonstrate their transparency and compliance.

SWIFT will expand its KYC compliance portfolio with additional services during the course of 2016.