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Introduction to Info Source

Info Source: Sources of Federal Government and Employee Information provides information about the functions, programs, activities and related information holdings of government institutions subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. It provides individuals and employees of the government (current and former) with relevant information to access personal information about them held by government institutions subject to the Privacy Act and to exercise their rights under the Privacy Act.

The Introduction and an index of institutions subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act are available centrally.

The Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act assign overall responsibility to the President of Treasury Board (as the designated Minister) for the government-wide administration of the legislation.

Background

The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), is Canada's financial intelligence unit. FINTRAC reports to the Minister of Finance, who is accountable to Parliament for the activities of the Centre. FINTRAC was created in 2000 pursuant to the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) Act (PCMLA). At the time of its creation, FINTRAC's mandate was to assist in the detection, prevention and deterrence of money laundering by analyzing and assessing financial transactions and other information and making disclosures to police related to money laundering. FINTRAC also had the mandate of ensuring compliance with the PCMLA and its Regulations.

On December 24, 2001, the PCMLA was renamed the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA). At that time, FINTRAC's mandate was expanded to include assistance in the detection, prevention and deterrence of the financing of terrorist activities. FINTRAC was required to make disclosures on these matters to police and to make disclosures on matters relating to threats to the security of Canada to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).

On December 14, 2006 the PCMLTFA was further amended to expand the number of people and entities subject to the Act, to strengthen its deterrence provisions through the creation of administrative monetary penalties, and to broaden the range and recipients of financial intelligence ("designated information") which FINTRAC must disclose. Since December 2006, the range of designated information, which FINTRAC must disclose and the list of recipients of FINTRAC's intelligence product have been expanded. Disclosure recipients now include: appropriate police forces, the Canada Border Services Agency, the Canada Revenue Agency, the Communications Security Establishment, provincial securities regulators, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces, the Competition Bureau, Revenu Québec, Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

As the Minister of Finance is responsible for FINTRAC, the Minister must table FINTRAC's annual report in each House of Parliament.

Responsibilities

FINTRAC assists in the detection, prevention and deterrence of money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities. Its major policy and program responsibilities are:

Institutional functions, programs and activities

Core Responsibility: Production and Dissemination of Financial Intelligence

Financial Intelligence

FINTRAC’s Financial Intelligence Program is mandated by the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA) to produce actionable financial intelligence; that assists Canada's police, law enforcement, national security and other international and domestic partner agencies in combatting money laundering, terrorism financing and threats to the security of Canada, while protecting the personal information entrusted to FINTRAC.

Tactical Financial Intelligence

Description: Records created by this program include tactical information derived from the analysis of the transaction reports received from reporting entities and reports received from the Canada Border Services Agency, as required by Parts 1 and 2 of the PCMLTFA; voluntary information from police, law enforcement, security agencies, foreign financial intelligence units, and the public; information obtained from public sources and commercially available databases, or information that is stored in databases maintained by the federal government, a provincial government, the government of a foreign state, or by an international organization for purposes of law enforcement and national security. Records also include information on FINTRAC's work with the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units, the Financial Action Task Force, Financial Action Task Force-style Regional Bodies, and other multilateral organizations; information on technical assistance and its delivery of training on the production of tactical intelligence to other financial intelligence units, either directly by FINTRAC, through the Egmont Training Working Group, or through collaboration with other multilateral organizations.

Document Types: Policies, strategies, procedures, frameworks, information sharing memoranda of understanding (templates, signed versions, reference guides and query guides), financial transaction reports, analysis work files, disclosure files, information protection frameworks, country profiles, evaluations, training materials, presentations, statistical reports, agendas, and statements of requirement and proposals, project material, records of minutes (RoMs).

Record Number: FINTRAC TFI 010

Strategic Intelligence and Research

FINTRAC's Strategic Intelligence, Research and Analytics provides a wide analytic perspective on the nature, scope and threat posed by money laundering and terrorism financing. Produced for the Canadian security and intelligence community, federal policy and decision-makers, reporting entities across the country, international partners and other stakeholders, FINTRAC's strategic intelligence is focused on strengthening Canada's ability to prevent, detect, deter and disrupt the methods and techniques used by criminals to launder money or fund terrorist activities.

Strategic Financial Intelligence Analysis

Description: Information created by this program includes records pertaining to strategic intelligence resulting from the macro analysis of aggregated data from FINTRAC disclosures and associated reports. It also includes records containing information created from research and analysis of a wide variety of information sources, which serve to inform policy, industry and decision-makers on matters of money laundering and terrorist activity financing. Those records may include the identification of emerging trends and typologies, the assessment of products and technologies and other industry related factors regarding vulnerabilities to money laundering and terrorist financing, and guidance on risk-based approaches, including those identified through FINTRAC’s work with Public-Private Partnerships. It also includes records on FINTRAC's work with the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units, the Financial Action Task Force, Financial Action Task Force-style Regional Bodies, and other multilateral organizations including international technical assistance training related material and presentations to other financial intelligence units, either directly by FINTRAC, through the Egmont Training Working Group, or through collaboration with other multilateral organizations.

Document Types: Strategic Intelligence products (financial intelligence reports, strategic intelligence backgrounders, research reports, operational alerts, special bulletins, sectoral and geographic advisories, and operational briefs), intelligence assessments, intelligence briefs, typologies and trends reports, backgrounders/vulnerability assessments, analytical notes, intelligence memorandums, reviews of media articles and publicly available studies, training materials, briefings and presentations, project material, records of minutes (RoMs).

Record Number: FINTRAC SFI 020

Core Responsibility: Compliance with Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Legislation and Regulations

Compliance and Strategic Policy and Reviews

FINTRAC’s Compliance Program is responsible for ensuring compliance with Part 1 and Part 1.1 of the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA) and associated Regulations. This legal framework establishes obligations for reporting entities to develop and implement a compliance program in order to identify clients, monitor business relationships, keep records and report certain types of financial transactions. The Compliance Program undertakes enabling and enforcement actions to ensure that the reporting entities operating within Canada's financial system fulfill their PCMLTFA obligations. These obligations provide important measures for countering patterns and behaviours observed in criminals and terrorists in order to deter them from operating within the legitimate channels of Canada's economy. FINTRAC also maintains a registry of money services businesses in Canada and foreign money services businesses that direct and provide services to persons and entities in Canada.

FINTRAC’s Strategic Policy and Reviews Program works closely with the Department of Finance and other regime partners to share operational and strategic expertise and knowledge of Canada’s law enforcement and national security priorities. It also identifies potential enhancements to legislation and regulations with a view to strengthening Canada’s overall anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing regime.

Compliance

Description: Information created by this program includes records relating to Compliance assessments completed by FINTRAC on reporting entities; records related to agreements with various domestic regulators and foreign financial intelligence units; records containing quality, timing and volume assessments received of reporting; compliance examination files on reporting entities including financial transactions and third-party personal information records which are reviewed during the course of an examination; statistical reports on compliance; information on voluntary declarations of non-compliance, records on interpreting legislation and regulations; records of disclosures of non-compliance to law enforcement for investigation or prosecution and records on the administrative monetary penalties program including records related to the Director’s decisions and subsequent court appeals. It also includes records on FINTRAC's work with the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units, the Financial Action Task Force, Financial Action Task Force-style Regional Bodies, and other multilateral organizations including international technical assistance training related material, and presentations to other financial intelligence units, either directly by FINTRAC, through the Egmont Training Working Group, or through collaboration with other multilateral organizations.

Document Types: Policies, standard operating procedures and guides, correspondence, memoranda, briefing notes, compliance assessment reports, presentations, examination files, statistical reports, voluntary self-declarations of non-compliance, policy interpretations, guidance, risk assessments, non-compliance disclosures, notices of violation, representations from reporting entities, legal submissions from reporting entities, business documents from reporting entities, client records (all types), transaction reports, notices of decision, Court materials (e.g. affidavits, legal documents, notices, orders, court decisions), memoranda of understanding, meeting notes and training materials.

Record Number: FINTRAC ROC 030

Money Services Business Registry

Description: Information created by this program includes records related to the registration and identification of MSBs including service locations. It also includes records related to pending registration applications, identification of potential registrants, notifications (registration acknowledgments, registration denials, and requests for clarification, pending cessations, etc.), registration updates, pending renewals, and records pertaining to applications for review by the Director.

Document Types: Policies, procedures, correspondence, memorandums, briefing notes, registration instructions and application forms, approval documents, lists of money services businesses, notifications, guides, interpretation notices, applications for review, notices of decision, and frequently asked questions.

Record Number: FINTRAC REG 040

Internal Services

Internal services constitute groups of related activities and resources that are administered to support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of an organization. These groups are management and oversight services, communications services, legal services, human resources management services, financial management services, information management services, information technology services, real property services, materiel services, acquisition services, and travel and other administrative services. Internal services include only those activities and resources that apply across an organization and not to those provided specifically to a program.

Acquisition Services

Acquisition services involve activities undertaken to acquire a good or service to fulfill a properly completed request (including a complete and accurate definition of requirements and certification that funds are available) until entering into or amending a contract.

Communications Services

Communications services involve activities undertaken to ensure that Government of Canada communications are effectively managed, well-coordinated and responsive to the diverse information needs of the public. The communications management function ensures that the public—internal or external—receives government information, and that the views and concerns of the public are taken into account in the planning, management and evaluation of policies, programs, services and initiatives.

Financial Management Services

Financial management services involve activities undertaken to ensure the prudent use of public resources, including planning, budgeting, accounting, reporting, control and oversight, analysis, decision support and advice, and financial systems.

Human Resources Management Services

Human resources management services involve activities undertaken for determining strategic direction, allocating resources among services and processes, as well as activities relating to analyzing exposure to risk and determining appropriate countermeasures. They ensure that the service operations and programs of the federal government comply with applicable laws, regulations, policies and plans.

Information Management Services

Information management services involve activities undertaken to achieve efficient and effective information management to support program and service delivery; foster informed decision making; facilitate accountability, transparency and collaboration; and preserve and ensure access to information and records for the benefit of present and future generations.

Information Technology Services

Information technology services involve activities undertaken to achieve efficient and effective use of information technology to support government priorities and program delivery, to increase productivity, and to enhance services to the public.

Legal Services

Legal services involve activities undertaken to enable government departments and agencies to pursue policy, program and service delivery priorities and objectives within a legally sound framework.

Management and Oversight Services

Management and oversight services involve activities undertaken for determining strategic direction and allocating resources among services and processes, as well as those activities related to analyzing exposure to risk and determining appropriate countermeasures. They ensure that the service operations and programs of the federal government comply with applicable laws, regulations, policies or plans.

Materiel Services

Materiel services involve activities undertaken to ensure that materiel can be managed by departments in a sustainable and financially responsible manner that supports the cost-effective and efficient delivery of government programs.

Real Property Services

Real property services involve activities undertaken to ensure that real property is managed in a sustainable and financially responsible manner, throughout its life cycle, to support the cost-effective and efficient delivery of government programs.

Travel and Other Administrative Services

Travel and other administrative services include Government of Canada travel services, as well as those other internal services that do not smoothly fit with any of the internal services categories.

Classes of personal information

Through the conduct of compliance activities, FINTRAC receives and collects a variety of personal information which is used solely to document, assess and review a reporting entity's compliance program, reporting history, record keeping, client identification and reporting obligations. The receipt of this information, which includes financial information such as account numbers and transactional details relating to individuals, is authorized pursuant to the PCMLTFA, and is not used by FINTRAC for the purpose of making administrative decisions about the individuals to whom the information relates.

Personal information is stored as part of the compliance examination file (or the file used for internal reviews and court appeals) where the records are not retrievable by the individual's name or other personal identifier. The retention periods for these classes of personal information are controlled by the retention period of the subject files in which they are stored.

Manuals

Additional Information

Please visit the Access to Information and Privacy Protection page for more information on how to file a request under the Access to Information Act or Privacy Act. Summaries of completed Access to Information requests are also available online. FINTRAC may be able to process informal requests for information where exemptions do not apply to the records or where only a cursory review of the records is required.

FINTRAC conducts Privacy Impact Assessments to ensure that privacy implications will be appropriately identified, assessed and resolved before a new or substantially modified program or activity involving personal information is implemented. You can also consult FINTRAC's Privacy Policy to find out more about how FINTRAC assesses privacy impacts on its programs and services. Summaries of completed PIAs are available online.

For general enquiries please contact us.

Reading Room

In accordance with the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act, an area on the premises will be made available should the applicant wish to review materials on site. Applicants are asked to contact us to make arrangements.

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