Talatona - The representative of the United States of America (USA) embassy in Angola, Matthew Gerdin, reaffirmed Wednesday in Luanda his government's commitment to helping Angola establish a sound financial system, in accordance with international standards.
The diplomat, speaking at the workshop on the theme 'Strengthening Cooperation between the Public and Private Sectors on Matters of Preventing the Financing of Terrorism and the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction', stressed that the construction of this financial system is essential for the country to reverse its position on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list.
At the event organised by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) in partnership with the United Nations Organisation on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), he said it was essential for Angola to improve in areas identified as vulnerable, such as money laundering, combating the financing of terrorism, so that its position is no longer part of the grey list.
In turn, the director general of the UIF, Gilberto Capeca, stressed that the country is currently implementing an action plan to improve the program to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
In this regard, he pointed out that the FIU is developing mechanisms to monitor suspicious operations, especially in the oil sectors, environmental crimes, fuel smuggling, as well as the trafficking of protected plant species.
He also added that a joint effort between the Angolan authorities, the UNODC and the U.S. government aims to ensure that Angola achieves higher financial standards, in order to provide a safer environment for investments and strengthen the country's credibility on the international stage.
The workshop aims to strengthen joint actions for the prevention of crimes that threaten national and international security. GIZ/MAG/DOJ
