RISK-ORIENTED APPROACH IN THE PRIMARY FINANCIAL MONITORING BY BANKS

Abstract

The ongoing changes in the legal regulations for banks to conduct financial monitoring make the research on the risk-oriented approach implementation in the Ukrainian banking sector relevant. The declining share of information bearing the signs of internal financial monitoring in the total amount of information provided by banks highlights the need to further improve the methods used to assess suspicious financial transactions conducted by banks and the risks associated with them, given the effectiveness of their detection and depth of consequences. The article is aimed to improve the risk-oriented approach in the primary financial monitoring by banks through the substantiated elements composing the system of significant risks associated with money laundering and terrorist financing. While substantiating the elements composing the system of significant risks associated with money laundering and terrorist financing, it is crucial to consider the international risk management standards based on the assessment of threats, vulnerability to threats and their consequences for the bank and national security at all levels. Implementing the following steps: threat identification considering the type and jurisdiction of customers and types of financial transactions and channels for their implementation, justification of banks’ vulnerability to middle and high level threats, significant consequences of money laundering and terrorist financing risks allowed presenting in detail the areas of interest for the bank risk management. The research determined financial transactions subject to the recommendation to use high, increased and traditional prudence while identifying and verifying transactions. The proposed banks’ prudence areas built in reliance on the analysis of the legal framework for combating money laundering and terrorist financing, statistics provided by the State Financial Monitoring Service and the NBU allow banking institutions to focus on the risks posed by money laundering and terrorist financing, which have a significant impact on their activities. Further research should focus on forming a mathematical tool for assessing the bank’s risks in the financial monitoring of money laundering and terrorist financing.