ARTICLE · 08 APRIL 2009

The BVI Advantage

British Virgin Islands International Finance Centre

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Since the British Virgin Islands ("BVI") invested in a decision to upgrade its corporate framework through the introduction of the Mutual Funds Act, 1996, the Insolvency Act, 2003, and the BVI Business Companies Act, 2004, it has become one of the most popular jurisdictions for corporate transactional work as well as for the incorporation of companies and funds.

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Article by Ayana Brathwaite, Maples and Calder, British Virgin Islands

Since the British Virgin Islands ("BVI") invested in a decision to upgrade its corporate framework through the introduction of the Mutual Funds Act, 1996, the Insolvency Act, 2003, and the BVI Business Companies Act, 2004, it has become one of the most popular jurisdictions for corporate transactional work as well as for the incorporation of companies and funds. There are more than 500,000 active companies and nearly 2,000 active professional funds domiciled in the BVI. This article looks at the advantages that the BVI offers to investors, and also highlights some new developments.

The BVI Mutual Funds Act, 1996 allows for three categories of funds (professional, private and public) to be established, whilst providing for investor protection commensurate with their level of sophistication. There are currently no regulatory restrictions on investment policies in the BVI. The mutual funds

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