Palestine Monetary Authority

Circular No. (199/2021)
To all money changers operating in Palestine
Date: Tuesday, 26 October 2021

Subject: High-Risk Countries and Countries Under Enhanced Follow-Up

Attached is a copy of Decision No. (2021/3) issued by the Financial Follow-Up Unit on 24 October 2021 regarding high-risk countries and countries under enhanced follow-up in accordance with the list issued by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Accordingly, all money changers operating in Palestine are requested to take the necessary legal measures to implement the requirements of the aforementioned decision and the relevant measures to be taken.

Supervision Group
Palestine Monetary Authority

Copy: The Honorable Financial Follow-Up Unit

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Ramallah & Al-Bireh Governorate - Palestine P.O. Box 452
info@pma.ps | Fax: +970 2 2415310 | Tel: +970 2 2415251
Gaza - Palestine P.O. Box 4026
Fax: +970 8 2844487 | Tel: +970 8 2825713
www.pma.ps

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Financial Follow-Up Unit

State of Palestine

Decision No. (2021/3)
Issued by the Financial Follow-Up Unit
Date: 24 October 2021

Regarding Lists of High-Risk Countries and Countries Under Enhanced Follow-Up

Based on the provisions of Decision-Law No. (20) of 2015 on combating money laundering and terrorist financing and its amendments, particularly paragraph (16) of Article (20), and pursuant to Decision No. (8ج/4/2016) of the National Committee for Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing issued on 01 December 2016, authorizing the Financial Follow-Up Unit to publish the list of high-risk countries periodically issued by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and subsequently what the Group has determined from 21 February 2020 to 21 October 2021, and further to Decision No. (ت/2020/5) of the National Committee for Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing issued on 24 February 2020 regarding high-risk countries and countries under enhanced follow-up, and subsequently to Decision No. (2020/1) of the Follow-Up Unit dated 25 February 2020 and its subsequent decisions regarding lists of high-risk countries and countries under enhanced follow-up.

In light of public interest requirements, it is decided as follows:

First

List of High-Risk Countries (Black List)

Continuation of the application of countermeasures against high-risk countries as required under paragraph (Second) of Financial Follow-Up Unit Decision No. (2020/1), where the list of high-risk countries comprises the following:

1. Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea).
2. Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran).

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FINANCIAL FOLLOW-UP UNIT
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State of Palestine – Al Bireh P.O.Box 3981
Tel: +970 22422551\2 | Fax: +970 22422553
E-mail: info@ffu.ps | www.ffu.ps

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Financial Follow-Up Unit

State of Palestine

Second

List of Countries Under Enhanced Follow-Up (Grey List)

Amendment of the list of countries under enhanced follow-up (Grey List) stipulated in Unit Decision No. (2021/2) by removing (Republic of Botswana, Republic of Mauritius) from the list, and adding (Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Mali), and continuing to apply the procedures stipulated in paragraph (Fourth) of Financial Follow-Up Unit Decision No. (2020/1) to the countries on the grey list (which now comprise the countries shown in the table below), taking into account concerns regarding deficiencies in the AML/CFT systems of these countries as detailed in mutual evaluation reports and in Attachment No. (1) to this decision.

Number	Country Name	Number	Country Name
1	Republic of Albania	13	Republic of Nicaragua
2	Barbados	14	Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Pakistan)
3	Burkina Faso	15	Republic of Panama
4	Kingdom of Cambodia	16	Republic of the Philippines
5	Cayman Islands	17	Republic of Senegal
6	Republic of Haiti	18	Republic of South Sudan
7	Jamaica	19	Syrian Arab Republic (Syria)
8	Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (Jordan)	20	Republic of Turkey
9	Republic of Mali	21	Republic of Uganda
10	Republic of Malta	22	Republic of Yemen (Yemen)
11	Kingdom of Morocco	23	Zimbabwe
12	Republic of the Union of Myanmar (Myanmar)

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FINANCIAL FOLLOW-UP UNIT
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State of Palestine – Al Bireh P.O.Box 3981
Tel: +970 22422551\2 | Fax: +970 22422553
E-mail: info@ffu.ps | www.ffu.ps

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Financial Follow-Up Unit

State of Palestine

Third

Implementation

All specified financial institutions, businesses, and designated non-financial businesses and professions shall implement the provisions of this decision, and it shall take effect from the date of its circular.

Director of the Financial Follow-Up Unit
A. Wael Lavi

Attachment: Concerns regarding deficiencies in the AML/CFT system.

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FINANCIAL FOLLOW-UP UNIT
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State of Palestine – Al Bireh P.O.Box 3981
Tel: +970 22422551\2 | Fax: +970 22422553
E-mail: info@ffu.ps | www.ffu.ps

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Attachment

Concerns Regarding Deficiencies in AML/CFT Systems in Countries Under Enhanced Follow-Up

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Attachment to Financial Follow-Up Unit Decision No. (2021/3)

Regarding Lists of High-Risk Countries and Countries Under Enhanced Follow-Up

Concerns Regarding Deficiencies in AML/CFT Systems in Countries Under Enhanced Follow-Up

Part One: Deficiencies Through Evaluation Reports

The published mutual evaluation reports and follow-up reports on the FATF website contain all deficiencies and key conclusions regarding the AML/CFT system in countries listed on the enhanced follow-up list, which must be taken into account. These reports can be accessed via the following mechanism:

1. Visit the website http://www.fatf-gafi.org
2. Select the (publications) item, then (mutual evaluations)
3. Search for the country name in English in the search window marked with the image shown on the side.

Part Two: Implementation of Action Plans to Address Deficiencies

The following countries have made a high-level commitment to address strategic deficiencies related to AML/CFT systems, and these countries are still fulfilling their commitments to address remaining deficiencies.

The items below outline the key areas these countries are addressing or have addressed, based on specific deficiencies identified in mutual evaluation and follow-up reports, which must be considered whether negative or positive:

Country	Key Areas
Albania	Since February 2020, when Albania made a high-level political commitment to work with the FATF and MONEYVAL to strengthen the effectiveness of its AML/CFT regime, Albania has taken steps towards improving its AML/CFT regime, including by completing a long-term project to reduce the informal economy and use of cash through establishing electronic invoicing for business-to-government, business-to-business, and business-to-customer transactions. Albania should continue to work on implementing its action plan to address its strategic deficiencies, including by: (1) finalising the registration of real estate properties in Albania; (2) establishing more effective mechanisms to detect and prevent criminals from owning or controlling DNFBPs, including by passing a law on the licensing and regulation of real estate intermediaries; (3) ensuring that there are effective mechanisms for timely access by authorities to beneficial ownership information about companies as well as appropriate penalties for non-compliance or the provision of false information; (4) increasing the number of prosecutions for ML, especially in cases involving foreign predicate offences; and (5) demonstrating the continued use of asset seizures and securing final confiscations for the proceeds of crime, especially assets linked to third-party and professional money launderers, as well as indirect proceeds and equivalent value.
Barbados	Since February 2020, when Barbados made a high-level political commitment to work with the FATF and CFATF to strengthen the effectiveness of its AML/CFT regime, Barbados has taken steps towards improving its AML/CFT regime, including by applying risk based supervision and sanctions on FIs and TCSPs. Barbados should continue to work on implementing its action plan to address its strategic deficiencies, including by: (1) demonstrating an effective application of risk-based supervision DNFBPs; (2) taking appropriate measures to prevent legal persons and arrangements from being misused for criminal purposes, and ensuring that accurate and up-to-date basic and beneficial ownership information is available on a timely basis; (3) ensure its FIU’s financial information products further assist law enforcement authorities in investigating ML or TF; (4) demonstrating that ML investigations and prosecutions are in line with the country’s risk profile and result in sanctions, when appropriate, and reducing the backlog in completing cases; (5) further pursuing confiscation in ML cases, including by seeking assistance from foreign counterparts.
Burkina Faso (Statement from February 2021)	In February 2021, Burkina Faso made a high-level political commitment to work with the FATF and GIABA to strengthen the effectiveness of its AML/CFT regime. Since the completion of its MER in 2019, Burkina Faso has made progress on a number of its MER recommended actions to improve technical compliance and effectiveness, including by adopting a national AML/CFT strategy in December 2020. Burkina Faso will work to implement its action plan, including by: (1) adopting and implementing follow-up mechanisms for monitoring actions in the national strategy; (2) seeking MLA and other forms of international cooperation in line with its risk profile; (3) strengthening of resource capacities of all AML/CFT supervisory authorities and implementing risk based supervision of FIs and DNFBPs; (4) maintaining comprehensive and updated basic and beneficial ownership information and strengthening the system of sanctions for violations of transparency obligations; (5) increasing the diversity of STR reporting; (6) enhancing FIU’s human resources through additional hiring, training and budget; (7) conduct training for LEAs, prosecutors and other relevant authorities; (8) demonstrating that authorities are pursuing confiscation as a policy objective; (9) enhancing capacity and support for LEAs and prosecutorial authorities involved in combatting TF, in line with the TF National Strategy; and (10) implementing an effective targeted financial sanctions regime related to terrorist financing and proliferation financing as well as risk-based monitoring and supervision of NPOs.
Cambodia	Since February 2019, when Cambodia made a high-level political commitment to work with the FATF and APG to strengthen the effectiveness of its AML/CFT regime and address any related technical deficiencies, Cambodia has taken some steps toward improving its AML/CFT regime, including by demonstrating sanctions being applied to FIs for AML/CFT breaches. However, Cambodia should take urgent action to fully address remaining measures in its action plan as all timelines have already expired. Cambodia should therefore continue to work on implementing its action plan to address its strategic deficiencies, including by: (1) enhancing disseminations of financial intelligence to law enforcement authorities in connection with high-risk crimes; (2) demonstrating an increase in ML investigations and prosecutions in line with risk; (3) demonstrating an increase in the freezing and confiscation of criminal proceeds, instrumentalities, and property of equivalent value; (4) demonstrate that implementation of targeted financial sanctions (TFS) related to PF is occurring by providing training to strengthen the skills of competent authorities to implement PF TFS, and enhance the understanding of sanctions evasion.
The Cayman Islands	In February 2021, the Cayman Islands made a high-level political commitment to work with the FATF and CFATF to strengthen the effectiveness of its AML/CFT regime. The Cayman Islands should continue to work on implementing its action plan to address its strategic deficiencies, including by: (1) imposing adequate and effective sanctions in cases where relevant parties (including legal persons) do not file accurate, adequate and up-to-date beneficial ownership information in line with those requirements; and (2) demonstrating that they are prosecuting all types of money laundering cases in line with the jurisdiction’s risk profile and that such prosecutions are resulting in the application of dissuasive, effective, and proportionate sanctions.