Browsing: Illicit Financial Flows

• The AU Summit 2024 is taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• The AU Summit 2024 has brought together the Committee of Ten Heads of State and Government.
• Marking a historic first, the year dedicated to Education follows its endorsement at the 36th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of AU Heads of States.

Finance and economic experts from Africa have called on African leaders at the AU Summit 2024 to match unity speak with actions and step up regional integration efforts, as theselatex hood brock bowers jersey adidas yeezy boost 350 turtle dove custom stitched nfl jersey air max 270 women air jordan 1 element air max 270 women jordan proto max 720 borsa prima classe black friday wig sale asu football jersey asu football jersey luvme human hair wigs jock strap custom sublimated hockey jerseys are key to the continent’s agency and success in the push for debt reforms …

For the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to be actualized appropriate financing is required and remains a major challenge, added to concerns over insufficient financial accountability, transparency and integrity.  The President of the UN General Assembly and the President of the UN Economic and Social Council instituted a 15-member panel on Financial Accountability, Transparency and Integrity (FACTI) in March 2019, to look at ways to address illicit financial flows (IFFs), among other issues. Earlier, the problem of IFFs was brought to light by the Thabo Mbeki-led High-level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa in a 2015 report. Tackling the issue further the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released the Economic Development in Africa Report 2020 titled, Tackling Financial Flows for Sustainable Development in Africa. All these efforts serve to highlight the urgency with which world leaders need to deal with this issue.  …

The African Union (AU) has been conducting an initiative subbed ‘Silencing the Guns’ that is meant to fight illicit financial flows (IFFs).

Just so we are on the same page, illicit financial flows refer to the illegal movement of money from one country to other various channels including but not limited to tax fraud, money laundering, and other criminal activities.

Now, here is who, what, and how of the matter, but not in any particular order.

How grave is this IFF problem? Every year, Africa is robbed of a shocking $50 billion to IFF. Describing the annual illicit outflow as staggering losses to the continent, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said;

“These flows pose a threat to stability and security in African countries, undermine institutions and democracy, and jeopardize sustainable development and the rule of law.”

The United Nations Conference of Trade and Development 2020 report placed the IFFs losses …

Gold accounts for 77 per cent of the US$40 billion worth of under invoiced extractive commodity exports from Africa.…

illicit capital flows

Curbing illicit capital flows could almost cut in half the annual financing gap of $200 billion that the continent faces to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals according to UNCTAD’s Economic Development in Africa Report 2020.

The report titled  “Tackling illicit financial flows for sustainable development in Africa,” notes that every single year an estimated $88.6 billion, equivalent to 3.7 per cent of Africa’s GDP, leaves the continent as illicit capital flight.

According to the report, Illicit financial flows (IFFs) are movements of money and assets across borders which are illegal in source, transfer or use. The outflows include illicit capital flight, tax and commercial practices like mis-invoicing of trade shipments and criminal activities such as illegal markets, corruption or theft.

As per the average for 2013 to 2015, the outflows are nearly as much as the combined total annual inflows of official development assistance, valued at $48 …

The outflows include illicit capital flight, tax and commercial practices like mis-invoicing of trade shipments and criminal activities such as illegal markets, corruption or theft. …