Incurred losses over continued presence on FATF blacklist ‘undeniable’: Deputy minister
Iranian Deputy Finance Minister Hadi Khani said the extent of incurred losses over the continuation of Iran’s presence on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)’s blacklist is obvious, undeniable and unjustifiable.
Khani said that relevant decision-makers in the previous government also were informed about the issue.
He said that unfortunately some countries, even those in the region, have begun to target Iranian natural and legal persons in order to prove their commitment to the FATF regulations.
Khani emphasized that the continuation of the trend risks tarnishing the reputation and credibility of the country’s economic players.
Since January 12, Iran’s Expediency Council has started re-examining various clauses of the Palermo and the Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) conventions of the FATF after Iran’s Economy Minister Abdolnasser Hemmati said in December that the country’s top leadership had allowed renewed discussions on the FATF case in the council.
The Expediency Council’s spokesman Mohsen Dehnavi said on Sunday that four clauses of the Palermo convention had been reviewed during the council’s meeting.
Restrictions imposed by the FATF on Iran’s banking system will be removed once the country enacts the Palermo and the CFT conventions.
The Iranian Parliament has approved the Palermo and the CFT, but Iran’s Guardian Council, which is responsible for vetting parliament legislation, has refused to ratify them, citing the need for some amendments.
Iran has approved other conventions and regulations adopted by the FATF.
The renewed push to examine Iran’s full accession to the FATF comes amid efforts by President Masoud Pezeshkian and his administration to open up to the world and to improve an economy affected by global inflation and foreign sanctions.