Credit Reference Bureau (CRB)

Overview

There are different financial institutions supervised by Bank of Uganda, grouped under: commercial banks and non-bank financial institutions.

Acts & Regulations

2000: Bank of Uganda Act

2004: Financial Institutions Act

2003: Micro Deposit Taking Institutions Act

2004: Foreign Exchange Act

2005: Financial Institutions Licensing Regulations

2005: Financial Institutions Credit Reference Regulations

2004: Microfinance Deposit Taking Institutions Regulations

2006: Foreign Exchange (Forex Bureaux and Money Remitters) Regulations

2010: Financial Institutions (Revision of Minimum Capital Requirements) Instrument

2011: Financial Consumer Protection Guidelines

2013: The Financial Institutions (Foreign Exchange Business) (Amendment) Rules, 2013

2016: Financial Institutions (Amendment) Act, 2016

Tier 4 Micro finance Institutions & Money Lenders Act, 2016                                    
The National Payments Systems Act 2020
 
 
 

Framework for the identification of Domestic Systemically important Banks (DSIBs)

The National Payment Systems (Agents) Regulations, 2021

The National Payment Systems (Sandbox) Regulations, 2021
The National Payment Systems Oversight Framework - June 2021
National Payment Systems Regulations, 2021

Micro Finance Deposit-Taking Institutions (Amendment of Second Schedule) Instrument, 2022 

Financial Institutions (Amendment of Third Schedule) Instrument, 2022

Financial Institutions (Credit Referencing Bureau) Regulations, 2022

Consolidated Corporate Goverance Guidelines

Risk Assessment Guidelines for SFIs in Uganda

Targeted Financial Sanctions Guidelines for Supervised Financial Institutions

The Financial Institutions (Revision of Minimum Capital Requirements) Instrument, 2022

Financial Institutions (Agent Banking) (Amendment) Regulations, 2023

Financial Institutions (Preference and Appraised Book Value) Regulations 2023

Micro Finance Deposit Taking Institutions (Registered Societies) Regulations, 2023

Financial Institutions (Amendment) Act 2023

The Foreign Exchange (Amendment) Act, 2023

Financial Institutions (Liquidity) Regulations, 2023

Micro Finance Deposit-Taking Institutions (Amendment) Act 2022
 

The Micro Finance Deposit-Taking Institutions (Revision of Minimum Capital Requirements) Instrument, 2024

 
 
 

Financial Institutions (Corporate Governance) Regulations 2024

Micro Finance Deposit-Taking Institutions (Corporate Governance) Regulations 2024
National-Payment-Systems Amendment-Regulations-2022
Other Financial Institution Regulations 
 

 

How CRB Supports Robust Growth of the Financial Sector

1.Timely and accurate information

This is achieved trough providing timely and accurate information on borrowers’ debt profile and repayment history.Experience has revealed that when financial institutions compete with each other for customers, multiple borrowing and over-indebtedness increases loan default unless the financial institutions have access to databases that capture relevant aspects of clients’ borrowing behaviour.The CRB contributes significantly to reduction in the costs of screening loan applications by enabling the lender to sort out prospective borrowers who have defaulted with other lenders. A CRB therefore, improves lenders’ ability to predict default. 

2. Availing an improved pool of borrowers

An improved pool of borrowers - more and more unbanked consumers will be eligible for financial services.Recent research based on information from several countries across the globe (Singapore, Iraq, China, Romania, Vietnam, Cambodia, Brazil, Hong Kong etc.) show that the existence of credit registries is associated with increased lending volume, growth of consumer lending, improved access to financing and a more stable banking sector. 

3. Reducing default rates

Reduced default rates as borrowers seek to protect their reputation collateral by meeting their obligations in a timely manner. With the presence of a CRB, there is strong motivation for clients to repay their loans.Credit reports that include both positive and negative information help build reputation collateral in much the same way as a pledge of physical collateral, which may improve credit access for the poorest borrowers.In the long run, a bigger credit market and lower default rates lead to lower interest rates, improved profitability and increased competitiveness.

Licensed CRBs as at 10 December 2024