The Corporate Regulatory Authority (CRA) has initiated the legal and technical review of the Beneficial Ownership (BO) Transparency, aligning with the requirements of the AML/CFT Act of Bhutan and FATF recommendation 24. In support of this initiative, the CRA, in partnership with the World Bank and Open Ownership, convened a one day National stakeholders Training workshop on Beneficial Ownership data use on 4 November 2025 at Le Meridien, Thimphu.

The one day event strengthened participants’ understanding of Beneficial Ownership concepts identifying the real individuals who own or control companies and their role in promoting good governance, combating financial crime, and enhancing business integrity. Experts from Open Ownership and the World Bank led interactive sessions on the distinction between legal and beneficial ownership, effective control, and balancing transparency with privacy protection.

Over 40 representatives from key stakeholder agencies, financial institutions, and private-sector organizations participated in the workshop. The agencies included the Corporate Regulatory Authority, Anti-Corruption Commission, Royal Monetary Authority, Office of the Attorney General, Department of Revenue & Customs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Civil Society Organizations Authority, Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law, major banks such as Bank of Bhutan, Bhutan National Bank, and Royal Insurance Corporation of Bhutan, as well as private firms including Tashi Legal team, ADS Consulting, Garuda Legal Services and Environ Legal Consultancy.

The workshop represents a key step in CRA’s ongoing efforts to strengthen beneficial ownership transparency through review of Legal and technical requirements for the Beneficial Ownership Registry.