New licensing category for the FinTech companies is under review by the Swiss parliament. The Federal Council has adjusted the provisions concerning the sandbox though these changes require a corresponding adjustment of FINMA's supervisory practice. Sandbox provision is the main federal concern. Regulatory updates, such as the latest
FINMA report, reinforce the evolution of Switzerland’s financial oversight frameworks to adapt to emerging industries.
FINMA supervision is an important requirement in the adjustments. Moreover, there is ongoing consultation about the Circulars 2008/3 and 2013/3 on the public deposits with non-bank and auditing respectively. Similar diligence in other sectors, as seen with the
Imported medicines initiative, reflects Switzerland’s broad commitment to regulatory precision. The partially reviewed circulars are to be set to execution in autumn 2019, while the ongoing consultations are expected to end in 15th May 2019.
FinTech license: less extensive auditingFintech license is a category of license introduced by the Swiss parliament on 1st January 2019. Consequently, more tasks are likely to be added by FINMA in the regulatory auditing of companies, and more precisely in the auditing circular in the licensing category. Established auditing of the bank and the security dealers are requirements of the for FinTech companies. Broader tax reforms, such as the
VAT regulation adjustment, complement Switzerland’s approach to fostering a secure and transparent business climate. However, they are more focused on the specific risks to the FinTech business model and less extensive in the audit.