Sri Lanka’s Financial Intelligence Unit and NGO Secretariat Sign MOU to Combat Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing

November 08, Colombo (LNW): The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of Sri Lanka has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Secretariat for Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to facilitate information sharing on money laundering (ML), terrorist financing (TF), and related crimes, as well as individuals connected to such activities.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) noted that the MOU, signed under the Financial Transactions Reporting Act, No. 6 of 2006, aims to strengthen the country’s AML/CFT (Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism) framework. The agreement was signed by Mr. Sanjeewa Wimalagunarathna, Director General of the National Secretariat for NGOs, and Dr. Subhani Keerthiratne, Director of the FIU, at a ceremony attended by CBSL Governor Dr. P Nandalal Weerasinghe, who also chairs the AML/CFT National Coordinating Committee.

This partnership empowers the NGO Secretariat to share insights from investigations, prosecutions, and activities that could be linked to ML/TF, a critical step in preventing misuse of NGOs. By working together, the FIU and NGO Secretariat aim to safeguard national and global financial stability from crimes that threaten economic security.

To date, the FIU has established 16 MOUs with local agencies, including Sri Lanka Customs and the Sri Lanka Police, to enhance domestic AML/CFT efforts. It also maintains 45 MOUs with international counterparts, reinforcing its commitment to global financial integrity.

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