Why CBN revoked licenses of 4,173 Bureau De Change operators’

By Mariam Abeeb

The Central Bank of Nigeria on Friday revoked the licences of 4,173 Bureau De Change operators over their failure to meet regulatory guidelines.

The apex bank disclosed this in a statement by its acting Director, Corporate Communications, Sidi Hakama.

In the CBN statement, Hakama said the licence withdrawal was in exercise of the powers conferred on the apex bank by the Bank and Other Financial Institutions Act, 2020, Act No. 5, and the Revised Operational Guidelines for Bureaux De Change, 2015.

The statement read in part, “The Central Bank of Nigeria, in the exercise of the powers conferred on it under the Bank and Other Financial Institutions Act, 2020, Act No. 5, and the Revised Operational Guidelines for Bureaux De Change, 2015, has revoked the licences of 4,173 Bureaux De Change Operators.

The list of affected BDC operators is available on the Bank’s website (www.cbn.gov.ng).”

It added that the affected institutions failed to observe at least one of the regulatory provisions.

According to the statement, the regulatory provisions include payment of all necessary fees, including licence renewal, within the stipulated period.

It added, “The affected institutions failed to observe at least one of the following regulatory provisions: Payment of all necessary fees, including licence renewal, within the stipulated period in line with the guidelines.

“Rendition of returns in line with the guidelines; compliance with guidelines, directives, and circulars of the CBN, particularly Anti-Money Laundering, Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Counter-Proliferation Financing regulations.

“The CBN is revising the regulatory and supervisory guidelines for Bureau de Change operations in Nigeria. Compliance with the new requirements will be mandatory for all stakeholders in the sector when the revised guidelines become effective.