Framework for Internal Control Systems in Banking Organisations

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Framework for Internal Control Systems in Banking Organisations INTRODUCTION 1. As part of its on-going efforts to address bank supervisory issues and enhance supervision through guidance that encourages sound risk management practices, the Basle Committee on Banking Supervision 1 is issuing this framework for the evaluation of internal control systems. A system of effective internal controls is a critical component of bank management and a foundation for the safe and sound operation of banking organisations. A system of strong internal controls can help to ensure that the goals and objectives of a banking organisation will be met, that the bank will achieve long-term profitability targets, and maintain reliable financial and managerial reporting. Such a system can also help to ensure that the bank will comply with laws and regulations as well as policies, plans, internal rules and procedures, and decrease the risk of unexpected losses or damage to the bank’s reputation. The paper describes the essential elements of a sound internal control system, drawing upon experience in member countries and principles established in earlier publications by the Committee. The objective of the paper is to outline a number of principles for use by supervisory authorities when evaluating banks’ internal control systems. 2. The Basle Committee, along with banking supervisors throughout the world, has focused increasingly on the importance of sound internal controls. This heightened interest in internal controls is, in part, a result of significant losses incurred by several banking organisations. An analysis of the problems related to these losses indicates that they could probably have been avoided had the banks maintained effective internal control systems. Such systems would have prevented or enabled earlier detection of the problems that led to the losses, thereby limiting damage to the banking organisation. In developing these principles, the Committee has drawn on lessons learned from problem bank situations in individual member countries. 3. These principles are intended to be of general application and supervisory authorities should use them in assessing their own supervisory methods and procedures for monitoring how banks structure their internal control systems. While the exact approach chosen by individual supervisors will depend upon a host of factors, including their on-site 1 The Basle Committee on Banking Supervision is a Committee of banking supervisory authorities which was established by the central bank Governors of the Group of Ten countries in 1975. It consists of senior representatives of bank supervisory authorities and central banks from Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States. It usually meets at the Bank for International Settlements in Basle, where its permanent Secretariat is located.
- 2 - and off-site supervisory techniques and the degree to which external auditors are also used in the supervisory function, all members of the Basle Committee agree that the principles set out in this paper should be used in evaluating a bank’s internal control system. 4. The Basle Committee is distributing this paper to supervisory authorities worldwide in the belief that the principles presented will provide a useful framework for the effective supervision of internal control systems. More generally, the Committee wishes to emphasise that sound internal controls are essential to the prudent operation of banks and to promoting stability in the financial system as a whole. While the Committee recognises that not all institutions may have implemented all aspects of this framework, banks are working towards adoption. 5. The guidance previously issued by the Basle Committee typically included discussions of internal controls affecting specific areas of bank activities, such as interest rate risk, and trading and derivatives activities. In contrast, this guidance presents a framework that the Basle Committee encourages supervisors to use in evaluating the internal controls over all on- and off-balance sheet activities of banks and consolidated banking organisations. The guidance does not focus on specific areas or activities within a banking organisation. The exact application depends on the nature, complexity and risks of the bank’s activities. 6. The Committee provides background information is section I, sets out the objectives and role of an internal control framework in Section II, and stipulates in sections III and IV of the paper thirteen principles for banking supervisory authorities to apply in assessing banks’ internal control systems. In addition, Appendix I lists reference materials and Appendix II provides supervisory lessons learned from past internal control failures. Principles for the Assessment of Internal Control Systems Management oversight and the control culture Principle 1: The board of directors should have responsibility for approving and periodically reviewing the overall business strategies and significant policies of the bank; understanding the major risks run by the bank, setting acceptable levels for these risks and ensuring that senior management takes the steps necessary to identify, measure, monitor and control these risks; approving the organisational structure; and ensuring that senior management is monitoring the effectiveness of the internal control system. The board of directors is ultimately responsible for ensuring that an adequate and effective system of internal controls is established and maintained.
Page 1 and 2: FRAMEWORK FOR INTERNAL CONTROL SYST
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