Mauritius to Face ESAAMLG Anti-Money Laundering Review in 2027

Mauritius is set to undergo a formal evaluation of its anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) framework in 2027, conducted by the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG). **What is ESAAMLG?** ESAAMLG is a regional body that brings together countries across eastern and southern Africa to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and related financial crimes. It operates in alignment with the global standards set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) — the international watchdog whose blacklist and greylist can significantly impact a country's access to international finance and investment. Mauritius is a member of ESAAMLG, and periodic mutual evaluations by the group are a standard part of membership. These assessments examine how effectively a country's laws, regulators, and institutions detect and prevent financial crime in practice — not just on paper. **Why does this matter for Mauritius?** This evaluation carries significant weight for the island's reputation as an international financial centre. Mauritius has had a difficult recent history with global financial watchdogs: the country was placed on the FATF greylist in February 2020, a designation that raised the cost of doing business internationally and cast doubt on its financial oversight systems. Mauritius worked extensively to address the identified weaknesses and was removed from the greylist in October 2021. A strong performance in the 2027 ESAAMLG review would reinforce confidence in Mauritius's financial system among foreign investors, banks, and correspondent financial institutions. A poor outcome, by contrast, could renew concerns and potentially trigger another period of heightened scrutiny. **What will be assessed?** ESAAMLG mutual evaluations typically examine two dimensions: technical compliance (whether the legal and regulatory framework meets FATF standards) and effectiveness (whether the system actually works — are suspicious transactions reported, investigated, and prosecuted?). The latter is often the harder test to pass. Key institutions under the spotlight would include the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), the Financial Services Commission (FSC), the Bank of Mauritius, and law enforcement bodies involved in financial crime. **What this means** For Mauritius, 2027 is still a few years away, but preparation typically begins well in advance. The government and regulatory bodies will need to demonstrate measurable progress in areas such as beneficial ownership transparency, enforcement actions, and inter-agency cooperation. The outcome of the review could directly influence Mauritius's standing in global finance and its ability to attract foreign capital. Source: Le Defi Media