FIC publishes Revised Guidance Note 7A
The updated guidance gives concrete examples of compliance failures and explicitly states that poorly documented RMCPs may be treated as non-compliant.
Compliance and Legislation
FIC’s goAML will be offline from 8 to 14 September for upgrade
Ensure registrations and filings are finalised by 5pm on 8 September and back up all records – the old system will be retired after the upgrade.
Draft amendments narrow taxpayers’ ‘bona fide inadvertent error’ defence
The proposal restricts the ‘bona fide inadvertent error’ defence under the understatement penalty regime to cases where the tax shortfall is a ‘substantial understatement’.
High Court dismisses bid to halt race and gender targets
Designated employers must begin aligning their workplace demographics with the Employment Equity Act’s numerical targets from 1 September.
How COFI will affect the retirement funds industry
COFI replaces the registration model with a conduct-focused licensing regime for retirement funds – a step that will raise governance, fit-and-proper checks and public disclosure requirements across the sector.
‘Clean data is the golden thread’ behind effective retirement supervision
The FSCA’s Zareena Camroodien provides a comprehensive overview of regulatory developments and strategic goals affecting the retirement sector.
Tribunal upholds debarment over ‘ghost quotes’
The FST found that repeated creation of phantom quotes and unauthorised ITC checks breached honesty and integrity standards.
SCA: Retirement fund agreement for municipal staff is illegal
The majority finds the accreditation mechanism effectively coerced funds to amend their rules or risk losing employer contributions – undermining trustees’ fiduciary duties under the PFA.
Trustees now have ‘clear guidance’ on dependency and benefit allocations
Dependency is assessed at the member’s date of death, and trustees must conduct active investigations and apply a principled equitable allocation process.
Treasury publishes tax changes affecting pensions, trusts, and individuals
In addition to foreign pensions and trust income, the measures affect death benefits, child maintenance, capital distributions by unit trusts, and assessed losses.
VAT-registered schools may face cashflow shock
The proposed blanket exemptions for goods and services supplied by schools will force VAT-registered schools to deregister and lose input-tax recovery.
Draft NCA regulations widen credit-data scope and tighten affordability tests
An affordability assessment will require lenders to recognise revenue from commercial activity funded by credit and the potential realisation of assets.
FST upholds FSCA’s revocation after employer trustees excluded from vote
The Tribunal agrees with the Authority that the rule amendment was void because the employer-appointed trustees were asked to leave the meeting during the deliberations.
FSCA publishes comprehensive Conduct Standard for CIS managers
The Conduct Standard establishes mandatory risk, compliance and internal audit functions, plus notification and approval requirements for key appointments.
Free FIC webinars for accountable institutions in August
The sessions will cover institutions’ regulatory reporting obligations and establishing beneficial ownership.
Tribunal sets aside debarment of rep who failed a polygraph test
Polygraph testing alone cannot establish dishonest conduct; where the circumstantial evidence is weak or contradictory, debarment is a disproportionate sanction.
Accountable institutions must ensure they are correctly registered
Institutions that are wrongly registered as ‘business entities with a reporting obligation’ face being sanctioned by the FIC.
