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CW and AmaB submit on anti-money laundering bill, express concerns

In a comprehensive joint submission to Parliament’s Standing Committee on Finance today, non-profit organisations Corruption Watch and AmaBhungane expressed concern that the haste with which the General Laws (Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Terrorism Financing) Amendment Bill was developed may have compromised its effectiveness. The bill was prepared in a matter of months after the Financial Read more >

Cabinet approves bill to boost fight against money laundering

Source: National Treasury Finance minister Enoch Godongwana has tabled the General Laws (Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Terrorism Financing) Amendment Bill [B18-2022] in Parliament, in terms of Joint Rule 159. The Announcements, Tablings and Committee report no 125-2022, issued by Parliament on 25 August 2022, has confirmed that the Bill has been submitted to the Standing Committee on Finance and Read more >

A global asset registry will boost equality and fight lawless wealth

Anonymous private wealth. Luxurious homes, state-of-the-art yachts and aircraft, priceless jewellery, valuable pieces of art, and more. Symbols of an ever-increasing global problem of financial inequality, and a proven driver also of corruption and tax abuse. Such wealth in the hands of a mere fraction of the global population is unsustainable – and as long Read more >

New company ownership regulation a step in right direction

By Mashudu Masutha and Karabo RajuiliFirst published on News24 The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is the global standard-setting body for combating money laundering, setting minimum standards via 40 recommendations. It has sanctioning mechanisms for countries that fail to comply. Recently, the organisation updated its Recommendation 24, which deals with beneficial ownership transparency – and Read more >

CW and other TI chapters urge FATF to move on beneficial ownership registers

Global anti-corruption organisation Transparency International (TI) has long been advocating for the establishment of a global standard for centralised, publicly accessible beneficial ownership registers – whose stored information has been verified. The organisation firmly believes such registers would allow everyone to see the true beneficiaries of anonymous companies, and help authorities, journalists and civil society Read more >

SA good on legal anti-money laundering framework, poor on implementation

In October the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) released its mutual evaluation report on South Africa, following an assessment of the country’s anti-money laundering, counter financing of terrorism and counter financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (AML/CFT/CPF) systems.  The mutual evaluation was conducted by a team led by the International Monetary Fund and including officials from the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group and FATF member countries. The team assessed compliance Read more >

Financial crime more difficult with true owner transparency

Our new mini-series shines the spotlight on the current Financial Action Task Force (FATF) beneficial ownership review process. Part 1 presented the particular issues the organisation has recently sought input on, part 2 examined the five recommendations submitted by Transparency International as a response to the FATF invitation, part 3 looked at the FATF draft amendments in response to the call for Read more >