The British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission was established as an autonomous regulatory authority in December 2001 by the enactment of the Financial Services Commission Act, 2001. The Commission is responsible for the regulation, supervision and inspection of all financial services in, and from within, the BVI. Such services include insurance, banking, trustee business, company management, mutual funds business, securities and investment business, as well as the registration of companies, limited partnerships, and intellectual property. As a result, the Commission now oversees all regulatory responsibilities previously handled by the government through the Financial Services Department. The Commission has also been tasked with new responsibilities which include promoting public understanding of the financial system and its products, policing the perimeter of regulated activity, reducing financial crime, and preventing market abuse. The establishment of the Commission also ensures a commitment by the BVI to play its part in the fight against cross border white collar crime while safeguarding the privacy and confidentiality of legitimate business transactions.