Burundi Set to Establish Financial Intelligence Unit
RegionWeek Newsletter Vol VI, Issue #207 | Tuesday, April 26, 2022
Dear RegionWeek Readers,
Burundi is set to join the global agenda in cracking down on financial crimes including money laundering by creating its Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). Towards this goal, COMESA is supporting the country to conform to the international standards set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in line with Burundian needs.
Recently, Burundi FIU Board officials comprising of security and customs officers undertook a benchmarking tour of the FIU Unit in Mauritius. The trip was sponsored by the COMESA Regional Maritime Security (MASE) program, which covers the Eastern and Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean (ESA-IO) region. A similar trip is planned to the Uganda Financial Intelligence Authority towards the end of April 2022, reports COMESA's official website.
The core functions of FIUs are receipt and analysis of suspicious transaction and activity reports identified and filed by reporting entities, and disseminating the intelligence to law enforcement agencies and other FIUs, upon request. The FATF is the global money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing watchdog and sets international standards that aim to prevent these illegal activities and the harm they cause to society.
Burundi is a second program country supported to undertake benchmarking visits. The first was Eritrea whose delegation visited Seychelles in September 2016, when the country was contemplating creating its own financial intelligence unit.
BURUNDI IN THE HEADLINE
Over 750 civil servants have been suspended in the last 3 months
During his presentation of the major achievements of the Ministry of Public Service, Labor, and Employment for the 3rd quarter, Minister Thaddée Ndikumana said that the salaries of 750 fictitious and undeserving civil servants have been suspended in the last 3 months.
These civil servants were suspended after the ministry’s investigations that sought to know if all the civil servants were compliant with rules and regulations in their work. This ministry is preparing for the digitization of all civil servants' files.
No, the vice President of Burundi is not dead!
Early this Tuesday a vehement rumor was spread on social media announcing the death of Mr. Prosper Bazombanza the vice president of Burundi. Many unverified sources stated that he was the victim of a Cardiovascular Accident (CVA) Stroke in one of the hospitals in Bujumbura city.
The information was later denied by the president's spokesperson Mrs. Evelyne Butoyi on his Twitter account and mentioned that “The Vice-President of the Republic of Burundi, Mr.Prosper Bazombanza continues his recovery”. She wished him a speedy recovery.
7 arrested for an assassination attempt
In Ngozi Province, 7 people were arrested this Monday after clashes that took place on Sunday evening between members of CNL party (Congrès National pour la Liberté) and CNDD-FDD (National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces) party members, report a local radio station.
Climate change
Stakeholders in Burundi held since April 26 in the provinces of Ngozi and Gitega through the support of UNDP, working sessions on 2020 Nationally Determined Contribution to combat global warming aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
These meetings invite all actors to participate in the effective implementation of Burundi's commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The implementation of this document will enhance the climate ambition of the Government of Burundi and its partners on the commitments of the Paris Agreement, leaving no one behind.
IN THE REGION
The 17th Meeting of the Sectoral Council on Education, Science, and Technology, Culture and Sports (SCESTCS) has just been concluded in Dar es Salaam Tanzania. East African Community Sectoral Council on Education, Science and Technology, Culture and Sports (SCESTCS) adopted a roadmap for the implementation of Kiswahili and French as Official Languages of the Community.
The Sectoral Council urged the Secretariat to expeditiously implement these roadmaps and undertake necessary capacity building and other requirements to facilitate the use of these languages in the official business of the Community. The Sectoral Council further adopted the UNESCO declaration of 7th July as World Kiswahili Language Day and directed the EAC Secretariat to include it in the calendar of activities as an annual EAC event. The Sectoral Council approved the inaugural EAC World Kiswahili Language Day to be celebrated in Zanzibar on 7th July 2022 under the coordination of the East African Kiswahili Commission.
Thanks for reading!
Fabrice Iranzi, Editor in Chief | RegionWeek.com