A high-level delegation from the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) visited Sri Lanka during March 2025, to provide critical insights and support for the upcoming Mutual Evaluation (ME) on Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) framework of Sri Lanka, scheduled to commence in March 2026. The delegation engaged with local authorities to discuss Sri Lanka’s preparedness for this important evaluation. The international delegation comprised:
- Mitsutoshi Kajikawa – APG Co-Chair, Deputy Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs, Japan’s Ministry of Finance
- Mitali Tyagi – Acting Deputy Executive Secretary, APG Secretariat
- Takahiro Yamasaki – Director, Office for Countering Illicit Financial Flows, International Bureau, Ministry of Finance, Japan
The APG is one of the regional bodies under the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to ensure that member jurisdictions implement international standards to combat money laundering, terrorism financing and proliferation financing related to weapons of mass destruction. All the countries are required to comply with FATF’s 40 Recommendations and demonstrate their effectiveness across 11 Immediate Outcomes, thereby enhancing global efforts to mitigate financial crimes and strengthen financial integrity.
Accordingly, Sri Lanka’s 3rd ME is scheduled to commence in March 2026. Currently, 24 public stakeholders, financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses and professions are involved in the country’s AML/CFT efforts, with the Financial Intelligence Unit playing a central role as the focal point.
During the visit, the APG high-level delegation met with the Governor of the Central Bank, who serves as the Chairman of the National Coordinating Committee on AML/CFT, to discuss Sri Lanka’s progress, challenges, and strategic priorities ahead of the evaluation. The delegation also held meetings with other relevant parties including a few Cabinet Ministers and high-level officials, to further guide and strengthen the country’s AML/CFT efforts in preparation for the upcoming evaluation.
