Office of Consumer Complaints

The Office of Consumer Complaints (OCC) is a department within the Financial Institutions Supervisory Division whose mandate is to ensure compliance with The Banking Services (Deposit Taking Institutions) (Customer Related Matters) Code of Conduct, 2016 (“the Code”). 

The Code was issued under section 132(4)(b) of the Banking Services Act on 30 August 2016 and took effect on 30 August 2017, following a twelve-month transition period.  It is applicable to deposit taking institutions (DTI) licensed under the Banking Services Act (BSA) i.e. commercial banks, merchant banks and building societies.  

The Code establishes minimum standards of good banking practice for DTIs when dealing with their customers.  It governs certain aspects of the relationship between the DTI and customers and it requires DTIs to, among others: 

• Disclose information to customers on fees, charges, terms and conditions of contracts, prior to their acquiring, accessing, or using a product or service and notification of changes thereto.
• Provide customers access to their account information at a reasonable cost.
• Establish mechanisms to record and effectively address customer complaints within prescribed timeframes.
• Provide monthly written statements of accounts (by physical or electronic means) or otherwise agreed cycle.
• Highlight or identify key terms for the customers attention.
• Prominently display information on fees and charges in locations of operations.