Eswatini has intensified efforts to strengthen its anti-money laundering, counter financing of terrorism and proliferation financing framework ahead of an upcoming Financial Action Task Force Mutual Evaluation.
Finance Minister Neal Rijkenberg officially opened a five-day In-Country FATF Standards Training
rogramme at the Central Bank of Eswatini on Monday. The training is hosted by the Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group, ESAAMLG. 
Rijkenberg said effective implementation of FATF Standards is critical to financial sector stability, investor confidence and the protection of the economy from abuse by criminal elements.
“For Eswatini, the effective implementation of the FATF Standards is essential to promoting financial sector stability, strengthening investor confidence, protecting our economy, and preventing the misuse of our financial system by criminal elements,” he said.
The Minister identified four priority areas for immediate action: compliance with national laws, timely reporting of suspicious transactions, risk-based supervision and closer cooperation between financial institutions, the Financial Intelligence Centre and law enforcement agencies.
He said the measures are intended to prevent the country’s financial system from being used for money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing.
Rijkenberg said Eswatini has made significant progress since the adoption of its Mutual Evaluation Report in 2022.
That report identified technical compliance deficiencies that required urgent legislative and institutional reforms.
He cited the enactment of the Anti-Money Laundering, Counter Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation Financing Miscellaneous Amendments Act, 2024, as a key intervention that strengthened the legal and regulatory framework.
According to the Minister, the amendments have enabled Eswatini to be re-rated on 18 FATF Recommendations.
The country is now rated Compliant or Largely Compliant on 32 of the 40 recommendations.
“While we are encouraged by these achievements, we recognise that there is still work to be done, particularly in demonstrating the effectiveness of our measures and ensuring their consistent implementation across all sectors,” Rijkenberg said.
He urged institutions represented at the training to take ownership of their AML/CFT/PF obligations and to translate knowledge into practical action.
“Our success as a country will not be measured solely by the laws we have enacted, but by our ability to demonstrate effective implementation and meaningful results,” he said.
Rijkenberg added that compliance must extend beyond banks to include designated non-financial businesses and professions, which remain vulnerable to misuse by criminals.
