ABOUT THE FINTECH OFFICE

Following the issuance of the Brunei Darussalam Financial Sector Blueprint, the FinTech function was established. This function is responsible to foster financial technology innovation in the financial sector of Brunei Darussalam. The FinTech function runs and operates the FinTech Office which serves as a one-stop virtual facilitation office where interested parties may contact Brunei Darussalam Central Bank (BDCB) on any matters related to FinTech.

THE FINTECH REGULATORY SANDBOX

On 27th February 2017, BDCB formally issued the FinTech Regulatory Sandbox Guidelines, which aims to aid in the development of FinTech companies in Brunei Darussalam through the creation of regulatory sandboxes. A regulatory sandbox allows the testing of FinTech products and services through a framework that enables qualified companies or businesses to experiment with innovative solutions in a relaxed regulatory environment, for a limited period of time and boundaries. On 9th December 2020, BDCB issued the amended FinTech Regulatory Sandbox Guidelines, where the application process has been streamlined to reduce the application assessment time.

To access the Guidelines, click here

To access the BDCB FinTech Regulatory Sandbox Application, download the PDF here

To access the White Paper on The State of FinTech in Brunei Darussalam, click here

REGULATORY SANDBOX APPLICATION PROCESS

CURRENT APPROVED SANDBOX ENTITIES

Name of Company	​Service or Solution	Start of Sandbox Period	End of Sandbox Period	Contact Details
​MMB Transfer Sdn Bhd	​MMB is testing digital remittance and cross-border payments services utilising blockchain technology.	​20 May 2019	20 May 2023	​Naysan Munusamy (Country Director for Brunei) Email: naysan@moneymatch.co
​Jana Kapital	​Jana Kapital is testing Syariah-based Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Crowdfunding platform for MSMEs.	​05 Aug 2020	04 Aug 2023​	​Haji Aidil Bahrin bin DSLJ Hj Mohd Salleh  (Managing Director) Email: aidil@janakapital.com

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. How do I contact the FinTech Office?
   You may contact us at  or by submitting the completed form in the contact us section below.
2. Do I need a locally registered company to be eligible for a regulatory sandbox?
   Yes, please refer to the definition of FinTech companies in the FinTech Regulatory Sandbox Guidelines.
   
   
3. I have an idea for a FinTech solution or company but do not have a working product or service yet. Am I qualified to apply for a regulatory sandbox?
   The regulatory sandbox is for companies that have a working solution, i.e. solutions that are ready to be deployed to the market. If your company has not reached this stage yet, you are encouraged to engage the FinTech Office to clarify any questions that you may have concerning applying for a regulatory sandbox.
   
   
4. Are there any charges imposed by BDCB for applying to participate in the regulatory sandbox?
   No, BDCB will not impose any fees for applying to participate in the regulatory sandbox.
   
   
5. I only wish to perform proof-of-concept testing for my solution. Am I still entitled to apply for a regulatory sandbox?
   No, applicants should be able to demonstrate the intention and ability to deploy their product or solution on a broader scale after exiting the sandbox.
   
   
6. When operating in a regulatory sandbox, are participants of a regulatory sandbox allowed to make changes to their products or solutions?
   Yes, with certain conditions as stated in para 8.5 of the FinTech Regulatory Sandbox Guidelines.
   
   
7. Will I be informed of why my application is rejected as unsuitable for a regulatory sandbox and when is re-application allowed?
   Yes, you will be informed of the specific reasons for the assessment. There is no cool-off period and an applicant may re-apply as soon as their application has addressed the reasons for its rejection.
   
   
8. If deemed suitable for a regulatory sandbox, how long will it take to complete the evaluation for the approval of a regulatory sandbox?
   While BDCB understands the value in providing a definite timeline for a regulatory sandbox application, due to the nature of the product of service involved, including the complexity of the application, it would be impractical to commit on a fixed period on this point. BDCB does commit to working together with the applicant to expedite this process and will rely on the applicant to provide complete information as well.
   
   
9. Will BDCB operate the regulatory sandbox once the sandbox entity has been given approval?
   No, the sandbox entity will operate the regulatory sandbox. BDCB's role is to help set-up the parameters of the sandbox as well as to monitor the progress of the testing taking place in that regulatory sandbox.
   
   
10. What happens if a sandbox entity is unable to fully comply with the relevant legal and regulatory requirements when exiting the sandbox?
    All applicants should be aware of the legal and regulatory requirements when applying for a regulatory sandbox, and will be responsible for committing to compliance of those requirements when applying for a regulatory sandbox.
    
    In cases where sandbox entities foresee their inability to comply with these requirements, BDCB should be consulted early to determine a suitable course of action. Such cases will be treated on a case-by-case basis. 
    
    
11. Will the information submitted to BDCB be treated with confidentiality?
    Yes, all information submitted to BDCB will be treated with confidentiality. Once an application has been approved and the regulatory sandbox has begun its operations, some details will be entered onto the FinTech Regulatory Sandbox Register on the BDCB website.
    
    This will only include the name and general contact of the sandbox entity, the product or service being offered, as well as the period of the regulatory sandbox. This is done in the interest of informing customers that the sandbox entity is operating in a regulatory sandbox.

CONTACT FORM