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Sri Lanka’s Third APG Mutual Evaluation Meeting Commences
The opening session of Sri Lanka’s Third Mutual Evaluation Meeting, conducted by the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG), was held Monday (26th October) at the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo, under the patronage of Hon. Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and Hon. Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eng. Eranga Weeraratne.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of the evaluation in demonstrating Sri Lanka’s progress in combating financial crimes and ensuring compliance with international standards. She emphasised that the erosion of public confidence in financial institutions and corruption pose serious threats to a country’s economic and political stability. She further noted that transparency, accountability, strong institutional coordination and effective law enforcement are essential to safeguarding the financial system and building public trust.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to strengthening Sri Lanka’s framework for combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism, while addressing emerging risks.
During the first day of the meeting, initial discussions were held with Sri Lanka’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) National Committee, Task Force and relevant government institutions. The discussions focused on the country’s money laundering and terrorist financing risk landscape, legal reforms and national strategies.
Extensive deliberations were also held on strengthening risk management and institutional coordination, with the participation of key institutions, including the Attorney General’s Department, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, the Sri Lanka Police, Sri Lanka Customs and the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
Further discussions addressed emerging risks associated with scam centre operations and human trafficking, maritime-related financial risks linked to the Port of Colombo and Special Economic Zones (SEZs), as well as measures to prevent the misuse of Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs) and Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs).
The APG on-site visit, scheduled from 25 October to 6 November 2026, will involve a review of Sri Lanka’s AML/CFT framework, National Risk Assessment (NRA) and institutional effectiveness by the APG assessment team.
The Ministry of Digital Economy noted that adherence to these international standards plays a significant role in ensuring the security and transparency of financial transactions within the digital economy.
The event was attended by Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe; Secretary to the Ministry of Digital Economy, Waruna Sri Dhanapala; senior Ministry officials; and other government representatives.
