[OKFN-FR] Fwd: [OKFN-Local-Coord] Who really owns companies? A policy briefing on beneficial ownership for Open Knowledge Foundation local groups

Wed Feb 12 16:01:34 UTC 2014

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jonathan Gray <jonathan.gray at okfn.org>
Date: Wed, Feb 12, 2014 at 4:21 PM
Subject: [OKFN-Local-Coord] Who really owns companies? A policy briefing on
beneficial ownership for Open Knowledge Foundation local groups
To: Open Knowledge Foundation Local Coordinators Mailing List <
okfn-local-coord at lists.okfn.org>

Dear all,

Just to let you know, I've put together a short policy briefing on
beneficial ownership for Open Knowledge Foundation local groups who might
be interested in doing advocacy in this area. I believe several groups have
expressed an interest in doing something on this - including Finland and
Switzerland.

I've included a sample of the first few questions below - and you can find
all of the rest in the
document<https://docs.google.com/a/okfn.org/document/d/1TVJRt_umO9mkt4vyYFYA9G6OV_9mHC7x3gkfAEWvJ00/edit#heading=h.bbocfueednvu>!
This is *confidential* for now - so *please not share this document more
widely*.

I hope this is useful for some of you!

All the best,

Jonathan

## What are 'beneficial ownership registries'?

Official company registers often do not list the names of the people who
really benefit from ownership or control of the companies: the 'beneficial
owners'.

Instead they often list directors who only have a relationship to the
company in name, but who have no real financial interest or control over
the company. These are called 'nominee directors'.

## What is our position on beneficial ownership registries?

We think governments of the world should establish registers of information
about who really owns companies: beneficial ownership registers. And we
think these beneficial ownership registers should be published as open data.

We call on open data and transparency advocates around the world to join us
in asking their governments to publish registers of beneficial ownership as
public, open, machine readable databases.

## Why does this matter?

Networks of interconnected shell companies are widely used for fraud,
corruption, crime, aggressive tax avoidance and illegal tax evasion. These
dark networks thrive on secrecy. The fact that governments do not require
the disclosure of who really owns and controls companies means that shell
companies can be used to avoid scrutiny.

Public registers of beneficial ownership mean that it is much harder to
avoid scrutiny. Publishing this information as open data enables
journalists, civil society organisations and law enforcement to unpick
these dark networks and the money that flows through them.

-- 

Jonathan Gray

Director of Policy and Ideas  | *@jwyg <https://twitter.com/jwyg>*

The Open Knowledge Foundation <http://okfn.org/>

*Empowering through Open Knowledge okfn.org <http://okfn.org/>  |  @okfn
<http://twitter.com/OKFN>  |  OKF on Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/OKFNetwork>  |  Blog <http://blog.okfn.org/>  |
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-- 
*Pierre Chrzanowski*
*Consultant Open (Government) Data*

Mail : pierre.chrzanowski at gmail.com
Skype : pierre.chrzanowski | Twitter : @pzwsk
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