Abena Osei-Asare, Deputy Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Atiwa East Constituency, has tasked the newly reconstituted board of the Financial Intelligence Centre Board (FIC), to work hard to combat money laundering, financing of terrorism and transnational organized crime.
The Deputy Minister of Finance, entreated the new FIC board to collaborate with the Ghana Revenue Authority to combat tax evasion and other tax crimes.
Abena Osei-Asare noted that the FIC plays very important role in the fiscal space of the economy and must work hard to protect the financial resources of the country.
Recalling the incidence where Financial Action Taskforce (FATF) increased monitoring process on Ghana for possible breaches of money laundering, the Deputy Minister commended the FIC for the lead role the Centre played in getting Ghana off the Financial Action Taskforce (FATF) grey list.
Ghana was placed on the EU grey list because FATF has detected some deficiencies in Ghana’s Anti-Money Laundering regime and drew an action plan for Ghana with timelines from 2019-2021 to address or risk being placed on the blacklist.
Mrs Osei-Asare observed that, by dint of hard work and with the support of other stakeholders including the Ministry of Finance, the FIC was able to complete the action plan even ahead of schedule resulting in Ghana being taken off the grey list.
That, the Deputy Minister, said has revived the confidence in the economy and Ghana being placed on a high pedestal as far as Anti-Money Laundering regime is concerned.
“It is my hope that you will continue to work hard to sustain the gains made so that we do not get back to where we came from.”
Mrs Osei-Asare
The Atiwa East Member of Parliament further entreated the board members to bring their expertise on board to help them achieve the mandate given them.
Mrs Osei-Asare pledged the government’s commitment to provide the Centre with the needed resources to help build upon the solid foundation that had been laid.
COP Adu-Poku, the FIC Board Chair in his remarks thanked the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the confidence reposed in the new board through their appointment as board members of the FIC.
Adu Poku assured that the board is committed to help fight and avoid the menace of money laundering, which if not well controlled, would ultimately lead to blacklisting with its attendant economic, political and social implications for the country.
COP Adu-Poku (Rtd) reassured that the reconstituted board would work to ensure the country do not get back to where it came from.
Meanwhile, the seven-member board chaired by Commissioner of Police (COP), Frank Adu-Poku (Rtd), has members including: Dr Joseph France, Director and Head of Financial Stability Department of Bank of Ghana, COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, Director General of Police Professional and Standards Bureau and Nana Domtie Onwona-Kwakye, a businessman.
The FIC was established by Section 4 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2008 (Act 749) as amended to assist in the identification of proceeds of unlawful activities, financing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and any other transnational organised crime.
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