Anti-Money Laundering Intelligence Office (AMLIO)

    The Anti-Money Laundering Office is organizing one of the organizational units of the Bank of the Lao PDR and having independent professional technical.

    AMLIO had the main duty to collect, analysis, disseminate, coorporate with relevant domestic and international organization approximately Anti-Money and Countering Financing of Terrorism.

    The budget of implementation, provide technique material, construction, maintenance and recruit staff of AMLO base on the Bank of the Lao PDR responsibility.

    AMLIO had 4 divisions as following:

       1. Administration Division;

       2. Analysis Division;

       3. Monitoring and Inspection Division;

       4. Legal and International Cooperation Division.

Roles of AMLIO

    Anti-Money Laundering Intelligence Office or “AMLIO” is an organization under direct supervision-leadership of National Coordination Committee for Anti Money Laundering and Countering of Financing Terrorism, and under ideological and political supervision-leadership of and receiving budget from Bank of Lao PDR.
    AMLIO is mandated as machinery, assisting The National Coordination Committee for Anti Money Laundering and Countering of Financing Terrorism in implementation of Anti Money Laundering and Countering of Financing Terrorism to ensure the tasks are in order and smooth, in line with law and international standard.

Backgroud of AMLIO

    In 2004 Bank of the Lao PDR (BOL) set up Ad Hoc Committee to work with anti money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism which included of representative of some departments within BOL as Bank Supervision, Internal Audit, Currency Issuing, Operation and Administration.

    In 2006 The Prime Minister of Lao PDR issued Decree on Anti Money Laundering No. 55/PM dated 27 March 2006. To implement such Decree, the Governor of Bank of the Lao PDR established Anti Money Laundering Intelligence Unit pursuant to Agreement No.229/BOL dated 14 May 2007 and created the Working Group on Anti Money Laundering in 2008 which included of 14 representatives from different ministries and relevant sectors.

Application for Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering "APG" member:

    Lao PDR applied to APG as an observer for 2 years and was admitted as the 36th member in July 2007 at the APG Annual Meeting which has obligation as follows:

      1. Implement 40+9 Recommendations of FATF;

      2. Mutual Evaluation each period;

      3. Participate in the APG's mutual evaluation programme;

      4. Contribution to the APG budget.

Lao PDR Mutual Evaluation:

   Lao PDR was assessed in the end of 2010 by the assessment team of APG for anti money laundering and combating financing of terrorism regime concerning 40+9 Recommendation of FATF particularly on 16 core/key. The report of which was adopted by the APG at the 2011 Annual Meeting and indicated there were significant deficiencies in Lao PDR’s AML/CFT framework. Therefore, Lao PDR was subject to Enhance Follow up.

   According to the outcome of mutual evaluation, APG commented that the Decree on Anti Money Laundering was not sufficient to address the AML/CFT deficiencies and not consistent with international standard. Therefore, Lao PDR has drafted Law on ANM/CFT and the law was adopted in 2014 (Law on AML/CFT No. 50/NA dated 21 July 2014). In the meantime, to implement the law the Prime Minister of Lao PDR issued Decree on Role and Responsibilities of National Coordination Committee for Anti Money Laundering and Countering of Financing Terrorism No.364/PM dated 13 October 2014. In order to strengthen the FIU, NCC issued Decision On Organization and Operations of The Anti-Money Laundering Intelligence Office No.08/NCC dated 19 May 2015.

Cooperation

    AMLIO signed MOU on Information Exchange concerning Financial Intelligence related to Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism with relevant departments within Bank of the Lao PDR and Line Ministries:

1. Financial Institution Supervision Department, Bank of The Lao PDR;
2. Monetary Policy Department, Bank of The Lao PDR;
3. Bank Supervision Department, Bank of The Lao PDR;
4. Lao Securities and Exchange Commission Office, Bank of The Lao PDR;
5. Economic Police Department, Ministry of Public Security;
6. The Customs Department, Ministry of Finance;
7. Anti-Corruption Department, Government Inspection Agency;
8. Tax Department, Ministry of Finance;
9. General of Immigration Department, General of Public Security Department, Ministry of Public Security;
10. Department of Foreigners Control, General of Public Security Department, Ministry of Public Security;
11. Enterprise Registration and Management Department, Ministry of Industry and Commerce;
12. Department of Family Management and Grass Roots Development;
13. People's Supreme Court Office;
14. Lao Telecom Company Ltd, Ministry of Post, Telecom and Communication;
15. Payment Systems Department, Bank of the Lao PDR (PSD);
16. Department of Land, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

     AMLIO signed MOU on Information Exchange concerning Financial Intelligence related to Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism with Foreign FIUs:

1. The State Bank of Vietnam;
2. The Cambodia Financial Intelligence Unit "CAFIU";
3. The Korea Financial Intelligence Unit of the Republic of Korea "KoFIU";
4. The Anti Money Laundering Office (AMLO), The Kingdom of Thailand;
5. The Indonesian Financial Transaction Report and Analysis Centre "INTRAC";
6. Federal Financial Monitoring Service (Russian Federation);
7. China Anti-Money Laundering Monitoring and Analysis Center;
8. The Japan Financial Intelligence Center "JAFIC" of the National Public Safety Commission of Japan;
9. Financial Intelligence Unit of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar "MFIU";
10. Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit "BFIU";
11. Financial Intelligence Unit, Autoriti Monetari Brunei Daruaalam "Brunei FIU";
12. Anti-Money Laundering Council of the Republic of the Philippines "AMLC".
13. The Suspicious Transaction Reporting Office of Singapore (STRO).
14. Bank Negara Malaysia;
15. Financial Intelligence Unit-India;
16. The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre;
17. The Financial Intelligence Department, Royal Monetary Bhutan;
18. The financial Intelligence Department, Fiji;
19. The financial Intelligence Department, the democratic republic of Timor-Leste;
20. The financial Intelligence Department, Papua New.