Cabinet approves financial services centres authority Bill 2019 in Lok Sabha after withdrawal from Rajya Sabha

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave approval for withdrawing of the International Financial Services Centres Authority 2019 Bill which was introduced in the Rajya Sabha and pending in the Rajya Sabha and introducing it in the Lok Sabha in the ensuing session of the Parliament as it is a "money bill".

An official release said that the banking, capital markets and insurance sectors in IFSC are regulated by multiple regulators such as RBI, SEBI, and IRDAI.

It said the dynamic nature of business in the IFSCs necessitates a high degree of inter-regulatory coordination. It also requires clarifications and frequent amendments in the existing regulations governing financial activities in IFSCs.

"The development of financial services and products in IFSCs would require focused and dedicated regulatory interventions. Hence a need is felt for having a unified financial regulator for IFSCs in India to provide a world-class regulatory environment to financial market participants," the release said.

"This would also be essential from an ease of doing business perspective. The unified authority would also provide the much-needed impetus to further development of IFSC in India in-sync with the global best practices," it added.

The Union Cabinet at its meeting on February 6, 2019, had approved the proposal for the establishment of a unified authority for regulating all financial services through the introduction of the International Financial Services Centres Authority Bill 2019 in the Parliament.

The International Financial Services Centres Authority Bill, 2019 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on February 12, 2019.

The release said that Lok Sabha Secretariat has now conveyed that this is a Finance Bill under Article 117(1) of the Constitution and that it should be introduced in Lok Sabha accordingly with the recommendation of the President under Article 117(1) and 274(1) of the Constitution.