Singapore legislation

Regulation 17

of Accountants (Prevention of Money Laundering, Terrorism Financing and Proliferation Financing) Rules 2023

Regulation 17

Internal policies, procedures and controls

Amended byS 201/2026 wef 06/05/2026S 201/2026 wef 06/05/2026S 201/2026 wef 06/05/2026S 201/2026 wef 06/05/2026S 201/2026 wef 06/05/2026

Subregulation 1

Amended byS 201/2026 wef 06/05/2026

An accounting entity must establish and maintain appropriate and risk‑sensitive internal policies, procedures and controls relating to all of the following matters in order to prevent activities related to money laundering, the financing of terrorism and proliferation financing:

(a)

CDD measures (including simplified CDD measures and enhanced CDD measures) and ongoing monitoring (including enhanced ongoing monitoring);

(b)

reporting;

(c)

record keeping;

(d)

risk assessment and management;

(e)

audit of the internal policies, procedures and controls;

(f)

the monitoring and management of compliance with, and the internal communication of, such internal policies, procedures and controls;

(g)

hiring and training of employees;

(h)

group policy, if the accounting entity has one or more subsidiaries or branches.

Subregulation 2

Amended byS 201/2026 wef 06/05/2026S 201/2026 wef 06/05/2026S 201/2026 wef 06/05/2026

The internal policies, procedures and controls mentioned in paragraph (1) must include —

(a)

internal policies, procedures and controls which provide for the identification and scrutiny of —

(i)

complex or unusually large transactions;

(ii)

unusual patterns of transactions which have no apparent economic or visible lawful purpose; and

(iii)

any other activity which the accounting entity or an individual practitioner of the accounting entity regards as particularly likely by its nature to be related to money laundering, the financing of terrorism or proliferation financing;

(b)

internal policies, procedures and controls which specify the taking of additional measures, where appropriate, to prevent —

(i)

the development of new services and new business practices, including new delivery mechanisms, for money laundering, the financing of terrorism and proliferation financing; and

(ii)

the use of new or developing technologies, for both new and pre‑existing services, for money laundering, the financing of terrorism and proliferation financing; and

(c)

internal policies, procedures and controls to determine whether any client, beneficial owner in relation to a client, or an agent of a client is a politically‑exposed person.

Subregulation 3

Amended byS 201/2026 wef 06/05/2026

An accounting entity or individual practitioner —

(a)

must —

(i)

assess the risks of money laundering, the financing of terrorism or proliferation financing that may arise in relation to —

(A)

the development of new services and new business practices, including new delivery mechanisms; and

(B)

the use of new or developing technologies for both new and pre‑existing services,before the launch or use of the services, business practices and technologies; and

(b)

must take appropriate measures to manage and mitigate the risks.

Subregulation 4

An accounting entity and its individual practitioners must comply with the internal policies, procedures and controls established and maintained by the accounting entity.

Subregulation 5

An accounting entity or individual practitioner must, in complying with the requirements of paragraphs (2) and (3), pay special attention to any —

(a)

new services and new business practices, including new delivery mechanisms; and

(b)

new or developing technologies for both new and pre‑existing services,that favour anonymity.