BY KWANELE TSABEDZE
MBABANE – The Minister of Finance has launched the 2nd Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism Indaba.
Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg launched the Indaba yesterday, where stakeholders such as Government, the Central Bank of Eswatini, and Commercial Banks were represented, among others.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Rijkenberg noted that money laundering is one of the greatest modern threats to evolving economies striving to open up to the international world, and no country is immune to it.
“On the back of this, recent events in the international arena have brought a state of heightened tension, with the potential for the perpetration of acts of terrorism a daily threat affecting the lives of humanity across the globe. No country is immune from this,” said the Minister.
“It is in the context of these circumstances that Eswatini, realising that money laundering has a negative impact on the country’s economy and image, and has embarked on the action to protect our fragile and emerging economy by enacting a number of pieces of legislation,” added the Minister.
The Minister’s words were echoed by Central Bank Governor Dr Phil Mnisi.
“It is important to have all these stakeholders in the fight against these financial crimes especially because the crimes transcend different sectors of the economy. The proceeds of crimes may be laundered in many sectors including the financial sector, real estate, dealers in precious metals and stones, etc,” said the Governor of the Central Bank.
The Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism Indaba is a platform where stakeholders deliberate on issues of money laundering and financing of terrorism and how to mitigate it.
