- Country expects to be removed from the list in October during the FATF General Assembly to be held in Maputo
By Noémia Mendes
Maputo (MOZTIMES)—The Mozambican government claims to have fulfilled all 26 actions set out in the plan to remove the country from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list concerning money laundering and terrorism financing. Luís Cezerilo, the National Coordinator for Policies on the Prevention and Combat of Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing, told reporters this Thursday in Maputo.
According to Cezerilo, in 2021, Mozambique was in a state of “non-compliance” with all 11 Immediate Outcome recommendations issued by FATF. He stated that the country is now in a position where all recommendations are “largely compliant”.
“The reputational situation the country had gone through has now been reversed,” said the Coordinator, explaining that progress had been made in investigations, financial supervision, law enforcement, and the freezing of assets suspected of being linked to terrorism.
Mozambique’s formal removal from the grey list will be confirmed in October, during the FATF General Assembly. Ahead of the meeting, the country will host a technical evaluation mission as part of the standard verification procedures.
“Prior to the October meeting, likely between 11 and 12 September, we will receive the technical mission from the International Co-operation Review Group (ICRG), which will conduct an on-site verification of the progress made,” Cezerilo explained.
In February 2025, the government had announced that only one of the 26 indicators remained to be addressed for Mozambique to be removed from the grey list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring, to which it was added in October 2022. (NM)
