Panama expects to be struck off financial crime watch list in October
Published on: Thursday 29 June 2023
Panama expects international financial-crime watchdog FATF to remove it this October from a watch list for nations deemed to be doing too little to fight money laundering, the country's deputy finance minister said, adding that other intergovernmental groups might follow suit. The Central American nation urgently needs to exit the watch lists so it can reclaim its place as a financial hub, Deputy Financial Minister Jorge Almengor said in an interview late on Wednesday. Panama's first stint on the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) so-called gray list, which can impact a country's investment ratings and reputation, was from 2014 to 2016.