FIA Locks In New Anti-Crime Roadmap to Shield Liberia’s Financial System
BY: T.Mark Vahmie
Monrovia, Liberia – The Financial Intelligence Agency of Liberia moved to tighten the country’s defenses against money laundering and terrorism financing Thursday, validating a new strategic plan designed to guide its operations through the next phase of national reforms.
The one-day stakeholder validation workshop, held June 18, 2026 at FIA headquarters in Lakpazee, Airfield, Sinkor, convened 30 representatives from the Inter-Ministerial Committee, regulatory authorities, and private-sector reporting entities.
Their task: review and finalize a roadmap aligning Liberia’s anti-financial crime strategy with global standards and the government’s development agenda.
FIA Officer-in-Charge Mohammed Ali Nasser said the plan was shaped by a full assessment of Liberia’s AML/CFT landscape, the Financial Action Task Force recommendations, and President Joseph Boakai’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development.
“Financial crimes evolve, and so must our response,” Nasser told participants. “This validation ensures our strategic priorities reflect real institutional needs, strengthen coordination across law enforcement, and keep Liberia aligned with international compliance expectations.”
The revised strategy emphasizes three core areas: boosting inter-agency intelligence sharing, enhancing risk-based supervision of reporting entities, and building institutional capacity to address gaps flagged in Liberia’s Second Round Mutual Evaluation Report.
The workshop outcomes will feed directly into a strengthened National Strategic Action Plan for 2024–2028, which President Boakai endorsed to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, proliferation financing, and illicit financial flows.
FIA officials said the new roadmap reinforces the agency’s role under the ARREST Agenda: promoting transparency, strengthening rule of law, and protecting economic sovereignty. As Liberia’s lead financial intelligence unit, the FIA coordinates with domestic and international partners to detect, analyze, and disseminate financial intelligence critical to investigations and prosecutions.
With illicit financial flows posing a direct threat to national security and development, officials framed the plan’s validation as a milestone toward a more resilient and accountable financial system.