Non-bank Lending Department

The Non-bank Lending Department was established in 2023 based on the Microfinance Market Department in connection with the transfer of the functions of combating illicit activity in the financial market from the abolished Department for Countering Misconduct and the functions of the Data Governance Department related to the functioning of the credit information system. 

The key areas of the Department’s work are as follows: 

• Regulation of microfinance market participants, including microfinance organisations, consumer credit cooperatives, agricultural consumer credit cooperatives, housing savings cooperatives and pawnshops, as well as of their respective self-regulatory organisations (SROs).
  
  Regulation, control and supervision of microfinance market participants and SROs are aimed at ensuring the sustainable development of the microfinance industry, the efficient management of risks emerging in the microfinance market, and the protection of financial consumers’ rights and legitimate interests.
  
  The Department adheres to the principles of proportionate regulation and risk-based supervision which imply that regulatory and supervisory requirements are set with account of the level of risk typical of the operation of a particular microfinance market participant.
  
  Given that the general public’s confidence in the microfinance industry is essential for its advancement, the Department is engaged in the elaboration and implementation of measures strengthening consumers’ confidence in services offered by microfinance market participants. 

• Control and supervision of compliance with the laws by microfinance market participants and their SROs that the Non-bank Lending Department exercises either directly (with the engagement of the Bank of Russia’s regional branches) or through SROs. 

• Counteracting misconduct, specifically illegal activities in the financial market.
  
  The Department detects financial pyramids and entities offering illicit financial services, thus helping build an environment of trust and protecting people’s interests. 

• Regulation, control and supervision in the credit information system (operation of and relationships among credit history bureaus (CHBs) and other entities in terms of their compliance with Federal Law No. 218-FZ). Supervised entities are CHBs, credit history makers, and credit history users.¹
  
  Regulation, control and supervision in the credit information system are aimed at maintaining and enhancing financial stability and ensuring the proper functioning of the credit process, in particular at improving the efficiency of loan provision and repayment and the protection of creditors and borrowers through a general reduction in credit risks, as well as at creating and promoting the conditions for collecting, processing and storing information about borrowers’ ability to timely fulfil obligations and submitting such information to CHBs. 

• Maintenance and development of the Central Catalogue of Credit Histories (CCCH) and control over the quality of scoring services rendered by CHBs.
  
  The Department ensures the provision from the CCCH of information about CHBs storing credit histories of credit history makers (individuals and legal entities) to individuals, legal entities, and other persons pursuant to Federal Law No. 218-FZ.

¹ Except for preventive conduct supervision over credit history users’ compliance with Parts 9–12 of Article 6 of Federal Law No. 218-FZ, as well as supervision over compliance with Part 2 of Article 7 of Federal Law No. 218‑FZ.