A meeting of the Working Group on the National Assessment of ML/TF Risks

A meeting of the Working Group on the National Assessment of ML/TF Risks (ML/TF NRA), attended by representatives of Tajikistan's supervisory, law enforcement and AML/CFT/PF agencies, was held at Tajikistan's National Bank on 24 January 2019. In his opening remarks to the participants, the director of the National Bank's Financial Monitoring Department, Fayzullo Fayzullozoda, emphasized the importance of holding the meeting.

Speaking after him, Saifiddin Sirojzoda, sector advisor to the assistant to the President of the Republic of Tajikistan on legal issues and head of the Working Group on ML/TF NRA, briefed the participants on the ML/TF NRA report and measures undertaken based on its findings. In particular, he noted that the ML/TF NRA had been carried out from April 2015 to September 2017 in compliance with FATF Recommendation 1 as part of the Asian Development Bank's programme for the provision of technical assistance to Tajikistan entitled "Strengthening the AML/CFT Regime". The order to carry out the assessment was issued by the permanent interagency AML/CFT/PF Committee. The ML/TF NRA Report was approved at a meeting of the permanent interagency AML/CFT/PF Committee held on September 18, 2017.

According Saifiddin Sirojzoda, the reason for today's meeting is to discuss the steps taken to eliminate the shortcomings identified in the MER in the context of the ML/TF NRA Report. In this regard, members of the Working Group briefed the participants on the measures taken by the country's ministries and departments based on the findings of the ML/TF NRA Report.

In turn, Fayzullo Fayzullozo briefed the participants on the steps taken by the Financial Monitoring Department (Tajikistan's FIU) in response to the report findings.  

According to Fayzullo Fayzullozo, the purpose of the National Risk Assessment is to detect high ML/TF risks by identifying threats, vulnerabilities and consequences that require the application of urgent ML/TF mitigation and management measures. Participants were briefed on the measures taken to mitigate and manage ML/TF risks, including the adoption of the National AML/CFT/PF Strategy and related Action Plan, endorsed by Presidential Decree No. 1033 dated March 5, 2018. 

Later, staff members of the Financial Monitoring Department gave a presentation on the shortcomings identified in the mutual evaluation in the ML/TF NRA context.

At the end of the meeting, the head of the Working Group on ML/TF NRA instructed the members of the working group to take steps to eliminate the shortcomings identified in the ML/TF NRA within the established deadlines and report on progress to the Financial Monitoring Department.  

Fayzullo Fayzullozo also briefed the participants on the creation of the Training and Methodology Centre within the structure of Tajikistan's Financial Monitoring Department. The decision to open the Centre was taken in furtherance of Tajikistan's National AML/CFT/TF Strategy 2018-2025 and in accordance with the resolution of the Board of Tajikistan's National Bank. The rationale behind the creation of the Training and Methodology Centre is to build a multi-tier training and skill-upgrading system for the personnel of the country's government and law enforcement agencies and representatives of the private sector. In this context, the director of the Financial Monitoring Department urged representatives of government agencies to cooperate with each other in improving the AML/CFT/PF skills of their personnel. 

Financial Monitoring Department of Tajikistan's National Bank