UK offshore havens miss deadline for transparency plans

The British Virgin Islands (BVI) and other offshore territories have failed to meet a key deadline for updating transparency laws aimed at combatting financial crime, with critics questioning their approach after launching a cartoon mascot as part of a new initiative. MPs expressed concern over delays in implementing measures that could enhance global accountability, noting that the BVI’s failure to adopt legislation risks undermining efforts to fight corruption and money laundering. The BVI government recently launched a campaign featuring a cartoon bird, Riley Right, which aims to promote transparency but has been criticized for trivializing serious financial crimes.