Tag: Financial Action Task Force (FATF)

South African companies will need to respond quickly to mitigate the risks stemming from this development. Global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), has placed South Africa on its so-called grey list.

The 2023 Budget was tabled to Parliament on 22 February 2023 by South African Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana.

The South African Government, via the Department of Finance, has announced the implementation of the new General Laws Amendment Act. President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law the General Laws (Anti Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism) Amendment Act, 2022.

The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) officially declared crypto assets as financial products under the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act. This is a big step forward towards avoiding South Africa’s infamous decline into the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list.

The good news stemming from the Medium Term Budget Policy statement (MTBPS) is that in 2023/24, South Africa is expected to achieve its first primary budget surplus in 15 years and this will be achieved with no new revenue enhancing measures from 2023/24 onwards. 

South Africa is the only permanent African member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global anti-money laundering watchdog. This is why it came as a shock to hear that the country is close to being grey-listed following concerns raised by the global body.

The Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) is set to include more sectors under its purview as accountable institutions while addressing gaps that may exist in the country’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing framework.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) released their report on ‘Money Laundering and the Illegal Wildlife Trade’ a topic that has been sitting on the side-lines for a long time, overshadowed by more prominent criminal ventures, such as drug trafficking.

Non-compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) regulations can result in heavy financial penalties and could expose your clients and business to potential harm, with Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA) fines of up to R10 million in your personal capacity and up to R50 million as a company.

News that Mauritius was added to the EU list of high-risk third countries on 7 May 2020 has understandably caused much consternation amongst fund managers who have fund structures and investment holding vehicles domiciled in Mauritius. While this is certainly a cause of concern, the following should be borne in mind.