National Supervisory Authority & Licensing Qualification Dossier • Asia-Pacific
CBS
Global JurisdictionThe Central Bank of Samoa
- Supervisory tier
- Tier-2
- License classes
- 2
- Licensed records
- 0
- Active / regulated
- 0
Statutory Supervisory Mandate & Scope
The Central Bank of Samoa (CBS) operates as a statutory financial supervisory authority regulating financial institutions in 5. The authority oversees entity licensing, capital adequacy compliance, conduct supervision, and enforcement disclosures via its official registry at cbs.gov.ws.
Prudential Tier Assessment
Tier-2Tier-2 sovereign central bank and macroprudential banking supervisor for Global Jurisdiction, enforcing Basel III capital adequacy and national payment system integrity.
National licensing qualifications & statutory authorisation classes (CBS)
Authorisation categories, permitted institutional and retail activities, minimum initial capital adequacy, and ongoing prudential solvency rules enforced by CBS in Global Jurisdiction.
| License class / code | Official designation | Permitted institutional & retail activities | Minimum initial / base capital | Ongoing prudential & solvency rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class A / Commercial Banking Charter | Full Commercial & Institutional Banking Licence | Deposit-taking, commercial lending, interbank FX market-making, trade finance, and institutional custody. | USD $5,000,000 – $15,000,000 equivalent statutory paid-up banking capital | Minimum Basel III Total Capital Ratio ≥ 10.5%–12.5%, CET1 ≥ 7.0%, LCR ≥ 100%, and NSFR ≥ 100%. |
| EMI / Payment & FX Institution Licence | Authorised Payment Institution / Electronic Money & FX Remittance Licence | Cross-border remittance, electronic money issuance, merchant payment acquiring, and deliverable spot FX conversion. | USD $150,000 – $500,000 equivalent paid-up capital plus statutory central bank security deposit. | 100% daily safeguarding of customer float in segregated commercial bank trust accounts. |
Investor compensation, client money segregation & digital-asset regime
Statutory counterparty protections, custody reconciliation mandates, and virtual-asset licensing status under CBS.
Statutory Deposit Insurance & Bank Resolution Scheme (Global Jurisdiction)
- Maximum coverage per client
- Protected up to statutory national deposit insurance ceiling per banking depositor
- Eligible counterparties & scope
- Retail depositors and eligible corporate deposit accounts held at licensed credit institutions.
CBS Prudential Safeguarding & Custody Directives
- Reconciliation & audit cadence
- Daily reserve and Nostro/Vostro liquidity reconciliation; 100% ring-fencing of payment institution safeguarding accounts.
- Approved custodian requirements
- Central bank reserve accounts or ring-fenced statutory trust accounts at Tier-1 correspondent banks.
CBS Prudential Cryptoasset Exposure (BCBS SCO60) & CBDC / Stablecoin Oversight
- Travel Rule, custody & stablecoin rules
- Full FATF Recommendation 16 Wire Transfer & Virtual Asset Travel Rule compliance across supervised banking rails.
Primary Governing Statutes & Rulebooks
- Central Bank & Banking Supervision Act of Global Jurisdiction
- Basel III Capital Adequacy (CET1 / Tier 1 / Total Capital) & Liquidity (LCR / NSFR) Prudential Standards
- National Payment Systems & Foreign Exchange Control Regulations (Global Jurisdiction)
- FATF-Aligned Anti-Money Laundering & Counter-Terrorist Financing (AML/CFT) Banking Directives
Regulatory Reporting & Audit Obligations
Monthly/Quarterly Basel III COREP/FINREP prudential capital and liquidity returns to CBSAnnual IFRS statutory financial audit by an approved central-bank-panel external audit firmReal-time large-exposure, foreign exchange position, and suspicious transaction reporting (STR)
Cross-Border Equivalence & Passporting
Requires CBS home-host supervisory college approval or local branch/representative office licensing for cross-border banking operations.
Supervised institutions & CBS licence records in our database
0 licence records referencing CBS (0 regulated/registered).
CBS (Global Jurisdiction): institutional licensing & due diligence FAQ
Key statutory capital, compensation, custody segregation, and verification answers for compliance teams.
What are the primary licensing classes and minimum capital requirements under CBS (Global Jurisdiction)?
CBS (The Central Bank of Samoa) supervises financial institutions in Global Jurisdiction under Central Bank & Banking Supervision Act of Global Jurisdiction and Basel III Capital Adequacy (CET1 / Tier 1 / Total Capital) & Liquidity (LCR / NSFR) Prudential Standards. Key statutory authorisation classes include: Class A / Commercial Banking Charter (Full Commercial & Institutional Banking Licence — min. capital: USD $5,000,000 – $15,000,000 equivalent statutory paid-up banking capital); EMI / Payment & FX Institution Licence (Authorised Payment Institution / Electronic Money & FX Remittance Licence — min. capital: USD $150,000 – $500,000 equivalent paid-up capital plus statutory central bank security deposit.). Ongoing prudential supervision requires strict adherence to capital adequacy and liquidity buffers.
Does CBS provide statutory investor compensation and mandatory client asset segregation?
Under CBS's framework, investor protection is governed by Statutory Deposit Insurance & Bank Resolution Scheme (Global Jurisdiction) with maximum coverage of Protected up to statutory national deposit insurance ceiling per banking depositor (Retail depositors and eligible corporate deposit accounts held at licensed credit institutions.). For client money and custody assets, supervised firms must comply with CBS Prudential Safeguarding & Custody Directives, performing daily reserve and nostro/vostro liquidity reconciliation; 100% ring-fencing of payment institution safeguarding accounts. with central bank reserve accounts or ring-fenced statutory trust accounts at tier-1 correspondent banks..
How does CBS regulate digital assets, crypto exchanges (VASPs/CASPs), and stablecoins?
CBS's digital-asset regime is structured around CBS Prudential Cryptoasset Exposure (BCBS SCO60) & CBDC / Stablecoin Oversight (Regulates bank custody, payment settlement rails, fiat-backed stablecoin reserve backing, and Basel SCO60 capital weights.). Custody and AML/CFT compliance obligations require: Full FATF Recommendation 16 Wire Transfer & Virtual Asset Travel Rule compliance across supervised banking rails.
How can I verify an institution's CBS licence number and check our 0 recorded licence entries?
Our database currently tracks 0 licence records referencing CBS (0 marked regulated or registered). To verify a counterparty at the primary source, open CBS's official public register (https://www.cbs.gov.ws/), search by the exact reference number and legal entity name, and confirm that the firm's domain and permitted activities match its statutory authorisation.
Related regulatory & market structure briefings
Research and compliance analysis from FinLexicon Wiki relevant to CBS and Global Jurisdiction.
Regulation
Basel III Endgame & Bank Capital Adequacy Encyclopedia: 2026 Definitive Institutional Guide, Quantitative Benchmarks & Regulatory Audit
Definitive 2026 flagship cornerstone guide to Basel III Endgame & Bank Capital Adequacy Encyclopedia on FinLexicon Wiki (finlexicon.org). Covers BCBS / Federal Reserve / PRA / ECB statutory rules, Tier-1 quantitative benchmarks, mathematical formulation (BASEL-III-ENDGAME), and compliance verification.
Derivatives Margin & Prudential Regulation
ISDA 2026 SIMM Risk Weights, Uncleared Margin Rules (UMR) Thresholds & VM/IM Collateral Eligibility
ISDA Standard Initial Margin Model (SIMM) refers to a parametric, sensitivity-based methodology calibrated across a 10-day margin period of risk (MPOR) at a 99% confidence interval to calculate regulatory initial margin for non-centrally cleared over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives under BCBS-IOSCO Uncleared Margin Rules (UMR).
Prudential Regulation & Capital Standards
Basel III Endgame 2026 Re-Proposal: Expanded Risk-Based Approach (ERBA) & G-SIB Surcharge Taxonomy
Expanded Risk-Based Approach (ERBA) refers to the March 2026 U.S. Basel III Endgame capital framework replacing dual-stack RWA rules and cutting G-SIB CET1 by 4.8%.
Prudential Regulation & Capital Standards
Basel III 72.5% Standardized Risk-Weighted Asset (RWA) Output Floor: Statutory Definition, Regulatory Scope & Compliance Deadlines (72.5% Minimum RWA Floor Benchmark)
Basel III 72.5% Standardized Risk-Weighted Asset (RWA) Output Floor (BCBS-OUTPUT-FLOOR) stands at 72.5% (Minimum RWA Floor) (Source: Basel Committee (BCBS d424), 2026-10-20), governing exact rule citations, covered entit
Statutory licensing classes, base capital rules, and investor protection summaries for CBS (Global Jurisdiction) are maintained for institutional benchmarking and do not constitute legal advice. Always verify current rulebooks and active firm authorisations directly on CBS’s official public register.