Moonstone Monitor: Compliance Report Workshops for Sole Proprietors

We are experiencing a daily increase in enquiries from concerned brokers about the completion of their annual FAIS compliance reports to the FSB, mainly from folk who attended our workshops last year and who were able to finalise their returns there and then.

The final dates published by the FSB are as follows:

Type of FSP	Reporting Date	Submission Date	Board Notice
Category I with Compliance Officer	31 May 2008	15 August 2008	BN 47 of 2008
Category II	31 August 2008	31 October 2008	BN 44 of 2008
Category III	31 August 2008	31 October 2008	BN 46 of 2008
Category I without Compliance Officer	31 December 2008	28 February 2009	BN 45 of 2008

For the last group we will be running workshops from 3 to 6 February 2009 in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth, East London, Bloemfontein and Durban. The workshop duration will be longer this year to make sure we cover every aspect in detail. Actual venues will be confirmed later.

Interactive workshops will be hosted with brokers able to complete their actual returns during the workshop. The FSB will also be in attendance with the specific aim to experience the completion of returns first hand and to assist participants with the electronic submission of their returns. Delegates will also be given practical details of the new Fit & Proper requirements and its impact on their businesses.

While the purpose of these popular workshops is to assist subscribers to the Moonstone Support Service, it is open to anyone else to attend. Moonstone Compliance Support clients attend free of charge while others need to pay a nominal fee. t

Invitations will be sent to all 6 546 sole proprietors listed at the FSB, but if you want to make sure you do not miss out, kindly ask Yolandi Bester at ybester@moonstoneinfo.com to add your name to the list. Formal registration will take place as soon as we have finalised the actual venues.

The small independent broker is possibly the most threatened link in the distribution chain of financial services, yet also the most valuable in terms of ensuring that consumers do not merely make a choice, but the right choice. The industry has an obligation to ensure their survival.

Product houses and other interested parties wishing to be involved are most welcome to contact Yolandi to discuss how they can show their solidarity with this worthy cause.