Central Bank of Samoa Consultations on the Money Laundering Prevention Bill

The Central Bank of Samoa (CBS) is conducting consultations on a new Money Laundering Prevention Bill, which is aimed at further strengthening Samoa's Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) framework.

The proposed Bill is intended to ensure that Samoa continues to meet international AML/CFT standards set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global standard-setting body in this area. The Bill is intended to replace the current Money Laundering Prevention Act 2007. Consultations have already begun, with the draft Bill circulated to Government agencies and public enterprises that are members of the Money Laundering Prevention Taskforce under the current Act. The draft has also been shared with financial institutions (commercial banks and money transfer operators) for their review and comments.

In 2024, Cabinet approved Samoa's National Risk Assessment on AML/CFT, along with the National AML/CFT Strategy. These documents, which are available on the CBS website at www.cbs.gov.ws, together with the FATF standards, form the basis of the new legislative framework.

The Bill was drafted with the support of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which provided technical assistance and worked closely with Samoa's central agencies during the drafting process.

These efforts also form part of Samoa's preparations for its AML/CFT Mutual Evaluation in 2027, during which Samoa's AML/CFT framework will be assessed against international standards. CBS now invites feedback from the public and relevant stakeholders on the proposed Bill. Members of the public can access the draft Bill by scanning the QR code provided, or by contacting the Central Bank's Financial Intelligence Unit (SFIU) via email ([email protected]) to request an electronic copy.

The Bill can be accessed by scanning the QR code enclosed with this press release. You can also access the feedback form using the other QR code. Stakeholders are encouraged to submit their comments using the form and submit them to our email [email protected]. The deadline for comments is 23rd January 2026.