HANOI: Anti-money laundering authorities should receive greater operational autonomy and independence, according to the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV).
In a recent proposal to the central government, SBV advised that the Anti-Money Laundering Bureau be given additional roles under the supervision of the central bank’s governor
This includes the power to issue specialised documents and guidelines; authority in receiving, processing, transferring, and exchanging information on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing both domestically and internationally.
The bureau’s director will also represent Vietnam in the signing of memorandums on cooperation with domestic and international agencies regarding anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing.
According to the SBV, the proposal, once approved by the government, will transform the bureau into Vietnam’s first financial intelligence unit (FIU), a member of the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units, an international organisation that facilitates cooperation between national FIUs to investigate and prevent money laundering and terrorist financing.