CIPA strengthens compliance ahead of FATF assessment
Tuesday, March 18, 2025 | 930 Views |
Planning ahead: Phale and Aisam PIC: MORERI SEJAKGOMO
As Botswana ramps up efforts to meet international financial standards ahead of an assessment in 2027 by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the Companies and Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA) is making strides in addressing key compliance gaps.
The FATF, the world’s leading multinational anti-money laundering agency, placed Botswana on its greylist in 2018, citing deficiencies in its monitoring and prevention structures. The move darkened the country’s investment climate for investors, whilst increasing the cost of doing business within Botswana and outside, due to the higher cost of due diligence.
It highlights the need to protect rights such as access to clean water, education, healthcare and freedom of expression.President Duma Boko, rightly honours past interventions from securing a dignified burial for Gaoberekwe Pitseng in the CKGR to promoting linguistic inclusion. Yet, they also expose a critical truth, that a nation cannot sustainably protect its people through ad hoc acts of compassion alone.It is time for both government and the...