National AML/CFT Framework Gets Boost | Business

The Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) of Liberia has concluded a daylong validation exercise aimed at reinforcing the country’s framework for combating money laundering, terrorist financing, proliferation financing, and other forms of illicit financial flows.

The session, held on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at the FIA headquarters in Lakpazee, Airfield, Sinkor, brought together 30 participants drawn from the Inter-Ministerial Committee, competent authorities, and reporting entities to review and validate a draft strategic roadmap that will guide the agency’s operations over the coming years.

Opening the exercise, FIA Officer-in-Charge Mohammed Ali Nasser said the development of the strategic plan followed an inclusive process grounded in a detailed assessment of Liberia’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) system, international standards set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and the Government’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development.

“With compliance requirements, we decided to invite stakeholders and relevant partners in Liberia’s national AML/CFT regime to participate in the validation of the drafted Strategic Plan,” Nasser said.

He explained that the validation was intended to gather institutional feedback on the relevance of the draft framework and ensure alignment with national development priorities, particularly the ARREST Agenda, which emphasizes institutional strengthening as a pillar of economic transformation.

According to him, the process also sought to deepen inter-agency coordination and improve information-sharing among institutions responsible for financial oversight, intelligence gathering, and law enforcement.

Nasser expressed optimism that stakeholder engagement would help refine strategic priorities and produce a final document that reflects a shared national commitment to fighting financial crimes.

“The expected outcome is a revised and improved strategic plan that integrates stakeholder input and aligns with both the National AML/CFT Action Plan and the ARREST Agenda,” he noted.

The validation exercise follows the recent endorsement by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai of the revised National Strategic Action Plan (2024–2028), which outlines national measures to address money laundering, terrorist financing, proliferation financing, and illicit financial flows. The plan was developed by the Inter-Ministerial Committee in collaboration with the FIA and other stakeholders in response to gaps identified in Liberia’s Second Round Mutual Evaluation Report.

Officials said the FIA’s mandate under the ARREST Agenda includes strengthening governance and accountability, enhancing financial transparency, improving inter-agency coordination, enforcing the rule of law, and leading national risk assessments in line with global standards.

As Liberia’s central financial intelligence authority, the agency continues to collaborate with key institutions to safeguard the financial system, facilitate intelligence sharing with law enforcement agencies, and ensure effective implementation of financial integrity measures.

Authorities say the validation of the new strategic roadmap represents a significant step toward strengthening Liberia’s financial crime prevention architecture, improving institutional effectiveness, and reinforcing national economic security.