Tanzania is advancing legal and institutional changes to strengthen its anti-money laundering framework, with the government working on 15 compliance areas identified through the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group process.

Finance Minister Ambassador Khamis Mussa Omar gave the update in Kigali during the 26th Ministerial Council meeting of ESAAMLG. He said Tanzania had made progress in systems to combat money laundering, terrorism financing and financing of weapons of mass destruction, while continuing to address gaps highlighted by the regional body.

The legal work includes amendments to 12 laws covering Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar. According to the minister, four mainland laws had already been passed by Parliament in the ongoing session, while the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar was expected to table a bill amending three other laws to complete the process.

The meeting brought together ministers, permanent secretaries and senior officials from finance, constitutional and legal affairs, home affairs and financial-sector institutions across Eastern and Southern Africa. Tanzanian participants included officials from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Constitution and Legal Affairs, the Bank of Tanzania, the Financial Intelligence Unit and other regulatory institutions.

For banks, insurers, capital-market intermediaries and payment companies, the process matters because AML compliance standards shape onboarding, reporting, transaction monitoring and correspondent relationships. Tanzania's ability to close identified gaps should support confidence in the financial system, but it also points to continued compliance work for regulated firms as legal amendments move through the mainland and Zanzibar processes.