Thursday Jul 16, 2026
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Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa
By Charumini de Silva
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the implementation of National Policy on Preventing Money Laundering, Countering the Financing of Terrorism, and Combating the Financing of the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction for the period 2026-2030.
“The policy has been introduced to strengthen the country’s response to growing financial crime risks that pose serious threats to both the Sri Lankan economy and the global financial system,” Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said at the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing yesterday.
He said the rapid technological advancements have made financial transactions increasingly complex, creating new challenges for authorities in detecting and preventing money laundering, terrorist financing, and the financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
As part of efforts to assess these evolving risks, the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka carried out the country’s third National Risk Assessment on financial crimes during 2024-2025. The assessment was conducted in line with standards established by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global intergovernmental body responsible for developing policies and standards to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and related financial crimes.
“Based on the findings of the national risk assessment, the Government formulated the new five-year policy to address identified vulnerabilities and strengthen Sri Lanka’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing framework,” he added.
The policy is expected to guide the country’s efforts from 2026 to 2030 by enhancing coordination among relevant institutions, strengthening preventive measures, and improving Sri Lanka’s ability to identify, mitigate and respond to financial crime risks in line with international standards.
The proposal to this effect was submitted by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his capacity as the Finance, Planning, and Economic Development Minister.
