Vietnam resolved to fight money laundering, terrorist financing

Illustrative image

The Party, Government, ministries and agencies of Vietnam have high political resolve to realise the national action plan on fighting money laundering and terrorist financing for 2015-2020, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue said on November 8.

At a reception for a multilateral assessment delegation of the Asia-Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) in Hanoi, Hue said Vietnam’s Anti-Money Laundering Steering Committee met in early September to prepare for the assessment.

He reported that the Supreme People’s Court has issued resolutions guiding the implementation of the Penal Code’s articles on money laundering and terrorist financing, and the Government has also issued relevant decrees.

Hue briefed his guests on Vietnam’s fight against corruption with several big cases, including those related to money laundering, brought to light.

The official expressed his hope that the APG’s assessment will help the country perfect and effectively operate its mechanisms for preventing and countering money laundering and terrorist financing.

Vietnam will continue to perfect it legal system, step up international cooperation, especially judicial assistance, and increase the communication work in this field, he said.

Head of the APG delegation David Becker lauded the Vietnamese side for its thorough preparations of documents and coordination in the assessment.

The APG acknowledges the political determination of the Vietnamese Party and State in combating corruption and money laundering crimes, he said.

Vietnam is a member of the APG which is part of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) - an independent inter-governmental body that develops and promotes policies to protect the global financial system against money laundering, terrorist financing and the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

At the 20th Annual Meeting of the APG, member countries approved a plan on multilateral assessment of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing in Vietnam from November 4-15./.