In the world we live in, it is extremely important for companies to have compliance with the global sanctions list. In case there is no compliance with sanctions checklist screening guidelines there can be some really bad outcomes like penalization and harm to reputation. In order to understand this complex practice, businesses must make use of effective sanctions checklist screening techniques. Now, we will talk about 10 steps using which businesses can make their compliance process smooth and also get rid of risks.
But before we move to that, it is important to know what exactly is sanctions checklist compliance. It is all about cross-checking people, businesses and even transactions against different global action lists to see if there are any matches. By doing so, businesses are able to stop themselves from working with parties who are under sanctions, as it can result in serious legal problems.
Step 1: Establish Clear Policies and Procedures
The basis of effective sanction compliance lies in clear cut and well defined policies and processes. You must document how your business is performing sanctions list screening compliance, mention responsibilities and also put in place clear guidelines for performing checks. By giving employees a proper roadmap to follow, you can reduce the risk of missing things or the screening process being inconsistent.
Step 2: Identify Key Data Sources
To perform thorough sanction screening, you need to get access to reliable data sources that have information about people or businesses on the sanction list. Go through different databases and websites of governments that can help in keeping up with the global sanction list and making sure that you have proper coverage across different locations. By regularly checking and updating your data sources you can stay aware of the recent changes in regulations and do the same to your sanction lists.
Step 3: Implement Screening Technology
Manual sanction screening can be very time-consuming, draining and also prone to errors. By putting money into screening technologies that have the ability to automate the process, you can allow for efficient screening and scanning of names, addresses and all other data against the sanctions checklists. Therefore, search for solutions that give screening parameters that can be customized and can also be combined with your current systems.
Step 4: Conduct Regular Screenings
Effective sanction compliance calls for ongoing monitoring as it is updated from time to time. You must perform screening of new customers, partners as well as transactions from time to time to find out any matches with sanction lists. By using screening checkpoints and touchpoints throughout your business operations you can make sure that there is vast coverage and that risks are detected at the right time.
Step 5: Establish Escalation Procedures
Even if you are performing thorough screening and making use of all measures, you may still want to dig deeper into some matches and investigate. For that, you must have proper escalation processes for handling matches on sanction lists and also for checking if it is a genuine match or a false positive so it can be taken into review accordingly. When there is quick action, risks can be mitigated and compliance can be made.
Step 6: Regularly Review and Update Policies
Regulatory needs and sanction lists are liable to change which makes it important to review policies and update them from time to time so that you are not left behind. You must stay aware of the changing trends and compliance standards and change your policies and processes likewise. By performing audits of your sanction screening process you can find out areas that need improvement and also make sure that you are following the best practices in the industry.
Step 7: Monitor Transactional Activity
Apart from screening people and businesses against sanction lists, it’s important to keep track of transactional activity and look out for suspicious behavior or warnings. Transaction monitoring systems that are great at detecting different patterns, transactions of high risk and changes from usual behavior. Regularly going through transactional information to find out sanction violations and taking the right action to get rid of that practice is helpful in the long run.
Way Forward
By keeping in mind and following these seven steps, businesses can not only increase their sanction compliance but also get rid of the chances of working with sanctioned parties. When there are clear policies, the use of reliable and accurate data sources and advanced technology, screening can be done better and there can also be compliance with regulatory needs.
Did you know that you can comply easily by taking sanction screening services and rest assured? AML Watcher is a popular provider of sanctions screening services and has access to more than 60,000+ datasets which makes the data highly accurate and reliable. Find out more by visiting our website.
