+更多
专家名录
唐朱昌
唐朱昌
教授,博士生导师。复旦大学中国反洗钱研究中心首任主任,复旦大学俄...
严立新
严立新
复旦大学国际金融学院教授,中国反洗钱研究中心执行主任,陆家嘴金...
陈浩然
陈浩然
复旦大学法学院教授、博士生导师;复旦大学国际刑法研究中心主任。...
何 萍
何 萍
华东政法大学刑法学教授,复旦大学中国反洗钱研究中心特聘研究员,荷...
李小杰
李小杰
安永金融服务风险管理、咨询总监,曾任蚂蚁金服反洗钱总监,复旦大学...
周锦贤
周锦贤
周锦贤先生,香港人,广州暨南大学法律学士,复旦大学中国反洗钱研究中...
童文俊
童文俊
高级经济师,复旦大学金融学博士,复旦大学经济学博士后。现供职于中...
汤 俊
汤 俊
武汉中南财经政法大学信息安全学院教授。长期专注于反洗钱/反恐...
李 刚
李 刚
生辰:1977.7.26 籍贯:辽宁抚顺 民族:汉 党派:九三学社 职称:教授 研究...
祝亚雄
祝亚雄
祝亚雄,1974年生,浙江衢州人。浙江师范大学经济与管理学院副教授,博...
顾卿华
顾卿华
复旦大学中国反洗钱研究中心特聘研究员;现任安永管理咨询服务合伙...
转发
上传时间: 2021-02-23      浏览次数:2301次
Gov’t moves to strengthen anti-money laundering, terrorism laws

 

https://bvinews.com/govt-moves-to-strengthen-anti-money-laundering-terrorism-laws/

 

Amid a number of international financial reports that have accused the BVI’s financial services industry of aiding money launderers in recent times, the Cabinet is moving to pass new laws to tackle tax evasion and money laundering.

 

The EU, the UK and other international financial lobbies have been pressuring the BVI to improve its financial laws and make its systems more transparent to prevent the world’s richest from hiding money here.

 

At Cabinet’s February 3 meeting, officials considered the Criminal Justice (International Cooperation) (Amendment) Act 2021 which facilitates the BVI’s cooperation with other countries in criminal proceedings and investigations.

 

Cabinet said the Bill will be introduced for its first reading in the House of Assembly at the next convenient sitting.

 

Giving the FIA teeth against money laundering

 

Cabinet also considered and approved the Proliferation Financing (Prohibition) Act 2021, which gives powers to the Financial Investigation Agency to take action against persons and activities that may be related to terrorist financing and money laundering.

 

The Proliferation Financing (Prohibition) Act 2021 seeks to replace the Proliferation Financing (Prohibition) Act, 2009 and will be introduced in the House of Assembly for its first reading at the next convenient sitting.

 

The Criminal Code (Amendment) Act 2021  is yet another piece of legislation that was considered and approved by the Cabinet. According to a post-Cabinet statement from its February 3 meeting, this bill is seeking to “criminalise tax crimes as a predicate offence for money laundering”.

 

Counter-terrorism

 

Additionally, Cabinet reviewed the Counter-Terrorism Act, 2021, which is the creation of the territory’s domestic legislation regarding terrorist-related matters.

 

According to Cabinet, this law is also a means of strengthening the current counter-terrorism legislative regime in a manner that satisfies the requirements of the Financial Action Task Force standards for combating terrorist financing. This Bill will also be introduced for its first reading at the next convenient sitting of the House of Assembly.

 

These laws are being reviewed by Cabinet just weeks after the Tax Justice Network (TJN) revealed that the BVI’s ranking for financial secrecy has worsened in the last two years.

 

The Financial Secrecy Index 2020 shows that out of 133 countries listed, the BVI placed ninth — meaning the country is one of the top ten tax havens of the world.

 

Less than a year ago, the BVI was also named in the Fincen Files scandal.

 

The scandal involves more than 2,500 leaked documents that show how some of the world’s largest banks have allowed criminals to hide ‘dirty money’ in countries like the BVI and the Cayman Islands.