Overview:
FIA, a government agency charged with countering money laundering, has thus migrated from manual registration procedure to an automated service.
The Finance Intelligent Authority (FIA) with support from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has launched the online Anti Money Laundering System to allow for e registration and e-certificate of registration issuance.
UNODC assists governments to roll back threats caused by drugs, transnational organised crime and terrorism by helping member states in capacity building.
FIA, a government agency charged with countering money laundering, has thus migrated from manual registration procedure to an automated service.
This means that all accountable persons, who have not yet registered will be able to register online without necessarily visiting the FIA offices.
Some of the accountable persons under the law include; advocates, casinos, trusts, financial institutions, registrars of land, churches and other charitable organisations, real estate agents among others.
Sydney Asubo, executive director at FIA noted that failure to register with FIA is an offence under section 133 of the Anti Money Laundering Act 2013 (as amended) and attracts penalties stipulated in section 136 (2).
“The need to adopt an electronic mode of doing business become eminent and as such FIA procured the goAML system from the UNODC,” he said.
“This platform has basically assisted FIA in the migration of all its manual operations and processes to electronic operations and processes. This included migration from the manual process of registration to the electronic registration that results in issuance of electronic certificates of registration.”
He noted that the system will provide a seamless and convenient registration process for accountable persons by eliminating the need to manually fill in paper forms and deliver them physically to the FIA offices.
He said automated confirmation and validation of a registration application as the goAML system ensures that the registration requirements are adhered to before submission.
“FIA hereby notifies that all accountable persons who have manually registered with the FIA and hence issued with physical or hard copy certificates of registration shall be electronically registered on to the goAML System and issued with Electronic Certificates of Registration also known as the Digital Certificates of Registration (DCR),” he said.
“That the Digital Certificates of Registration issued take precedent over the previously issued physical/hard copy. That only the DCR shall be issued to all accountable persons who register with FIA henceforth.”
UNODC completed comprehensive assessments of prevention and criminal justice responses to wildlife and forest crime in Madagascar and Uganda. Additionally, it also developed rapid reference guides for investigators and prosecutors of wildlife and forest crime.
Sharon Nyambe, head of office at UNODC said: “Our mandate is to provide technical assistance to member states upon their request to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism through the global program against money laundering proceeds.
“We have committed to assist FIA relevant law enforcement bodies and supervisory and regulatory bodies in the implementation of the anti-money laundering initiative and also countering financing of terrorism through countering illicit financial flows linked to illegal mining, trafficking and dealing in precious minerals.”