The Central Financial institution (CB) dismissed issues over potential cash laundering actions linked to the just lately launched Particular Deposit Accounts (SDAs) whereas stressing that the exemptions granted from procedural necessities are supplied beneath the provisions of the International Change Act (FEA).
“The CB needs to categorically deny the views/issues expressed/raised by few authorities and individuals that the required due diligence processes will not be adopted by banks (Licensed Sellers – ADs) working in Sri Lanka in opening and sustaining just lately launched Particular Deposit Accounts (SDAs),” the regulator mentioned.
It famous that the federal government launched the SDA with the session of Financial Board of the CB in April with the view to hunt help for the nationwide effort to beat the consequences of COVID-19 outbreak by issuing rules beneath the provisions of the International Change Act (FEA).
“The exemptions from procedural necessities specified within the mentioned Rules permit an AD to immediately credit score funds to an SDA with out routing such funds via an Inward Funding Account beneath regular circumstances. The mentioned rules can not exempt ADs from complying with provisions of FEA,” the CB elaborated. Subsequently, the CB identified that the above exemptions within the rules on SDAs will not be associated to the necessities relevant beneath rules, guidelines, pointers, and so forth. issued by the Monetary Intelligence Unit of CB on Anti Cash Laundering (AML)/Countering the Division of International Change 03 July 2020 Financing of Terrorism (CFT) and the provisions of FEA.
Nevertheless, Joint Cupboard spokesman and Minister Bandula Gunawardana in late April introduced that Sri Lankans and non-nationals may deposit any quantity of foreign exchange within the SDA freed from international alternate rules in any licenced industrial financial institution of the nation.
Lately, the nation’s State Info Division introduced that the sooner gazette issued on April 8, stress-free sure international alternate controls to encourage international forex remittances into the nation throughout international forex deposit accounts, can be revised to deal with the issues over cash laundering and terrorist financing. The Monetary Motion Activity Power (FATF), the worldwide coverage setter on anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism (AML/CFT), final October delisted Sri Lanka from its ‘Gray Checklist’ after inserting the nation within the checklist in 2017 as a result of deficiencies in implementing the AML/CFT regime.
The worldwide coverage setter is scheduled for an additional analysis of the nation’s AML/CFT regime subsequent yr.
— to www.dailymirror.lk
