BVI FSC Issued Statistical Bulletin for Q4 2018

The British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission has issued the fifty-third volume of its Quarterly Statistical Bulletin, providing analysis and information about financial services activities for the fourth quarter of 2018. According to the information published by the Registry of Corporate Affairs, which maintains the required registers of companies, there were 8,916 new incorporations of business companies in Q4 2018 (a 6.88% decrease when compared to 9,575 in Q3 2018 and 4.43% increase when compared to 8,538 in Q4 2017). Cumulative number of companies on the Register was 402,907 as at 31 December 2018.

In the fourth quarter of the year, there were 37 Limited Partnerships (LPs) newly formed in the BVI. There was a 37.04% increase in the number of new Limited Partnerships formed in Q4 2018 when compared to 27 in Q4 2017, and a 67.54% decrease in the number of LPs when compared to 114 in Q3 2018. Cumulative number of active LPs was 940 in the year 2018.

According to the information of the Intellectual Property Unit within the Registry of Corporate Affairs, which is responsible for administering all laws relating to intellectual property in the British Virgin Islands, in Q4 2018 there were 58 applications to register a trade mark - that is 61.11% increase when compared to 36 in Q4 2017, and 15.94% decrease compared to 69 in Q3 2018.

The figures of Banking, Insolvency and Fiduciary Services statistics recorded for all commercial banks show the decrease of cash items quarter over quarter and increase year over year. Loans and advances increased quarter over quarter and decreased year over year, while investments decreased quarter over quarter. The Net Interest Income for commercial banks decreased by 1.72% in Q4 2018 when compared to Q4 2017, and decreased by 23.68% in Q4 2018 when compared to Q3 2018.

Further information, including also Investment business and Insurance statistics, can be found on the BVI FSC homepage.