Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) today signed a FinTech Co-operation Agreement to promote innovation in financial services in their respective markets. The BSP-MAS CA was signed at the sidelines of the 2nd Singapore FinTech Festival that is currently being held in Singapore from 13 to 17 November 2017.

The agreement provides a framework for co-operation and collaboration between the two authorities relating to FinTech. The authorities will be able to refer promising FinTech firms to each other, share emerging FinTech trends and developments, and facilitate work on FinTech projects together. These projects could involve tapping on new financial technologies, like distributed ledgers, to provide innovative solutions to industry problems, such as facilitating faster cross-border payments and streamlining “know-your-client” (KYC) processes.

Mr. Nestor A. Espenilla, Jr., Governor, BSP, said, “The agreement serves as a seal of commitment between BSP and MAS to elevate financial innovation in both jurisdictions. The CA provides avenues for greater collaboration through a more defined structure and referral system for FinTech players between the innovation functions of each authority. The BSP looks forward to exciting times ahead as the CA unlocks diverse opportunities for new collaborations to prosper that maximize benefits of innovative technologies. This would ultimately pave the way for a more progressive, modern and inclusive financial system.”

Mr Ravi Menon, Managing Director, MAS, said, “MAS and the BSP are like-minded in their focus on harnessingfinancial technology to reduce inefficiency and benefit individuals and businesses. This Cooperation Agreement between our two agencies provides a framework for promoting financial innovation not only in our countries but can also potentially contribute to broader efforts in ASEAN.”