Financial Services Laws General Amendment Act 22 of 2008

Files
Attachment Size
a22-08ocr.pdf 1.66 MB
22 of 2008

The Financial Services Laws General Amendment Act 22 of 2008 aims:

  • to amend the-
    • Pension Funds Act, 1956, so as:
      • to define and further define certain expressions;
      • to provide for the registration and regulation of beneficiary funds;
      • to empower the registrar to exempt certain funds from certain provisions of the Act;
      • to further regulate the appointment and removal of a fund's principal officer, auditor and valuator;
      • to effect improvements regarding the restrictions on the payment of fees or commissions on transfers;
      • to effect improvements regarding the retrospective application of payment of benefits in terms of a divorce order;
      • to extend the powers of the registrar to prescribe certain matters; and
      • to provide for consequential amendments;
    • Friendly Societies Act, 1956, to provide for the registration of a friendly society established or continued in terms of a collective agreement concluded in a council in terms of the Labour Relations Act;
    • Financial Services Board Act, 1990:
      • to define and further define certain expressions;
      • to update references to legislation and institutions;
      • to extend the functions of the board;
      • to amend the provision for the filling of vacancies on the board;
      • to provide anew for the establishment of committees of the board;
      • to provide for the establishment of an enforcement committee;
      • to provide for the appointment of an acting executive officer;
      • to extend and regulate the power of delegation by the Minister and the board;
      • to extend the grounds for disclosure of information obtained in the course of performing functions; 
      • to extend the ambit of provisions relating to limitation of liability;
      • to repeal provisions relating to the board of appeal, and  to provide for a new board of appeal; and
      • to increase fines for contraventions of certain sections;
    • National Payment System Act, 1998:
      • to extend the application of the Act to certain organs of state;
      • to facilitate the participation of institutions other than banks registered under the Banks Act, 1990, in the clearing of payment instructions; and
      • to extend the grounds for disclosure of information obtained in the course of performing functions;
    • Financial Institutions (Protection of Funds) Act, 2001, to provide for a procedure in terms of which administrative sanctions may be imposed by the enforcement committee for contraventions of, or failures to comply with, certain laws enforced by the Financial Services Board;
    • Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act, 2002:
      • to define and further define certain expressions;
      • to empower the registrar of financial services providers to conduct on-site visits and inspections of the businesses of providers and representatives, and the disclosure of details of on-site visits and inspections;
      • to extend the duties of providers and representatives regarding carrying on business with unauthorised persons rendering financial services: to make new provision regarding fit and proper requirements in respect of all directors, members, trustees and partners of providers;
      • to combine and extend the powers and duties of the registrar regarding the grounds for suspension and withdrawal of licences, and the disclosure of details of suspensions and withdrawals;
      • to effect changes and improvements regarding the qualifications of representatives and their key individuals, the maintenance of a central register of representatives, and the debarment of representatives;
      • to empower the registrar to debar certain persons rendering financial services;
      • to extend the power of the registrar to draft codes of conduct;
      • to empower the registrar to control or prohibit incentives;
      • to improve provisions relating to compliance officers;
      • to improve the submission to the registrar of financial statements;
      • to improve the institution of civil remedies by the registrar; and
      • to specify new offences;
    • Co-operative Banks Act, 2007:
      • to clarify the application of the Act; and
      • to effect certain technical amendments to the Act;
    • Long-term Insurance Act, 1998, the Short-term Insurance Act, 1998, the Collective Investment Schemes Control Act, 2002, and the Securities Services Act, 2004; so as:
      • to provide for consequential amendments;
      • to provide for certain transitional provisions; and
  • to provide for matters incidental thereto.

Commencement

Share this page