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PM Browne Cautions Banks on Breaches of Client Confidentiality
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has issued a stern warning to banks operating in Antigua and Barbuda, urging them to take client confidentiality seriously or face significant financial penalties under new legislation.
Addressing Parliament during the second and third readings of the Payment Systems and Services Bill 2025, the Prime Minister highlighted a personal incident in which details of a private rental contract involving his Jolly Harbour property were made public by a financial institution.
“Unfortunately, I suffered a situation with one of the banks recently… probably about four years ago, in which a contract that I had for the rental of our Jolly Harbour home ended up in the public domain,” Browne told legislators.
“Didn’t pursue it, but these are things that are very consequential and could really cost banks in the future.”
The new bill, which aims to overhaul the 2007 Payment System Act, introduces strict provisions around confidentiality and data protection. Clause 33 specifically outlines banks’ duty of secrecy and the penalties for unauthorized disclosure of client information.
Under the proposed law, any individual found guilty of breaching confidentiality could face a fine of up to EC$100,000, while corporate entities could be liable for penalties as high as EC$250,000.
“These fines are significant, and [banks] may want to be very careful and ensure that there is no such breach of privacy,” Browne added, citing the landmark UK case Tournier v National Provincial Bank as a precedent on the importance of maintaining client secrecy.
The legislation forms part of a broader push to modernize Antigua and Barbuda’s financial landscape and aligns with regional efforts under the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) to regulate payment systems and enhance consumer protection.
The bill also proposes licensing requirements for payment service providers, regulations to address crypto-based payment platforms, and the creation of an Eastern Caribbean Payment Council to oversee standards and compliance.
The debate in Parliament continued with wide support for the bill, which is expected to be enacted in the coming weeks.
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The PM can’t serious. After he sit and discuss people
Personal and financial
Matters on RUM SHOP radio? Please tell
Me this is SATIRE
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!
Gastoooooooooooooon!!!!!!
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!
Have you had a fall out with tge person who was feeding you with people’s private banking information?
We have never heard anyone form the opposition with people’s private banking information on radio.
You are the only one from whom we have heard people’s information being called out on radio.
Are you afraid that the US banks will disclose your information and the people here will have access to it?
Are you afraid that Asot’s words will come back and stretch you ling ling?
Someone is very uneasy!!!!!!!!!
EXCELLENT PIECE OF LEGISLATION!!!! Too many people think they can just call up their friend or buddy who works at the bank to get information on other people’s financial situation.
This has happened at First Caribbean International I know for sure.
@Voter
You took the words out of my mouth, he is the only one who should have access to people’s personal information, this is really a shitty country and the people allow it to be that way
I do think alĺ those fat cats in government are afraid that all their ill gains will be exposed.
wait til YOUR information gets leaked by a bank employee to someone other than YOU.
This effort is primarily to cover their tails. It was all well and good when he had Ms. Isaac’s banking info throwing out to the world and now it looks very likely that he is going to be exposed, he is hastily trying to place a block in the path. He sounded very angry and worried.
This must be a typo. The same man that was exposing peoples name ,savings ,social security number and so on. Give me an aspirin ! Now I can finally say ” mental issues really taking gover Antigua” young ,middle age and old.
Gaston:: the banks must know their place, and provide information to me the world boss only, when me need to get information to curse my political opponents or private individuals for that matter, the banking confidentiality should be police by me the world boss tap dawg.
Gaston Browne, you have more guts than a cat fish. Were you the one that publicized a person’s personal account. That person should have sued your arse and the Bank.You do not have the rights to get any one’s Bank Account and their totals.