Using reliable identifiers for corporate vehicles in beneficial ownership data
Conclusion
The inclusion of reliable identifiers for corporate vehicles in BO datasets is crucial for referring accurately and consistently to companies and other corporate vehicles. Collecting and publishing these identifiers unlocks the value of BO information by forging links to a variety of domestic and foreign datasets: for example, extractive licence registers, stock exchange filings and revenue information.
Reliable identifiers are unique, persistent and resolvable. Their use should be accompanied by information about the authority which created the identifier to explain its provenance and support validation.
Company registers and similar authorities which create reliable identifiers that gain general currency should provide web search facilities and documented APIs to support the validating of entity identifiers.