The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), through its Director General, Edwin Harris, has launched the National Strategy Action Plan on Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation (AML/CFT&P) in Liberia. The launching ceremony took place on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 at the Mamba Point Hotel in Monrovia.
The action plan, according to Director Harris, is intended for the authorities to effectively and efficiently implement the strategy and action to protect the financial system of the country from abuse of financial and economic crimes for the enhancement of national, regional and global peace and economic stability.
This action plan also seeks to improve the effectiveness of the fight against money laundering, investigation, prosecution and asset recovery. The plan will further strengthen the capacity and deepen awareness on anti money laundering campaign among stakeholders in the region. The plan furthermore seeks to improve the risk-based supervision capacity of regulatory and supervisory bodies and improve risk-based supervision of reporting entities.
Officiating the official launch of the Anti-Money Laundering Action Plan, Deputy Minister for Codification, Nyemati Tuan, said the plan is good and should therefore be fully implemented by FIU, in the best interest of the country. He averred that money laundering and counterfeiting need to be seriously attacked in order to be curtailed.
Deputy Minister Tuan told authorities of the FIU that the government remains committed to supporting the fight against money laundering and counterfeiting. He pointed out that the launch should be followed by full implementation that will promote the image of the country. He commended Director Harris for bringing FIU to the level where it is today.
For his part, the Director General of Liberia Anti Corruption Commission (LACC), Moses Kowo, said the action plan for the FIU is in line with LACC’s focal point, and the implementation is cardinal. Kowo urged FIU to always count on the LACC during the implementation of the strategic action plan. He indicated that the LACC partnership with FIU is in the right direction because the money laundering and counterfeiting issues are something that need to be addressed by the government in order to promote the image of the country.
Speaking further, the Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Augustus Flomo, pledged the fullest support of the Ministry of Finance to the FIU during the implementation of the action plan. He called on Director Harris to always count on the ministry when the need arises.
