On December 6, U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) to solicit public comment for Anti-Money Laundering regulations in real estate transactions.
As a reporter in Uganda, I often saw how access to quality health care and education was limited because of low government revenues and budget allocations. While Uganda and other African countries are certainly recipients of foreign aid from the West, and generate their own tax revenues, it is also clear that illicit financial flows are bleeding out of the African continent, enabled in part by the policies of the West. We now need new partnerships with Africa to “stop the bleeding.”
This year promises to be one of the most important in recent history in America’s fight against illicit financial flows, global corruption, and kleptocracy.
While the world – and our country – faced many intersecting challenges, we’ve had a banner year of campaigning success. Beyond policy wins, we’ve helped change the narrative to argue that corruption and tax avoidance are major threats to democratic societies. None of this would have been possible without the collaboration of our members, allies, funders, and friends.
Recent progress achieved through creating a global minimum corporate tax must be complemented by greater tax transparency and enforcement. As the saying goes, “sunlight is the best disinfectant.”
With the global climate summit COP26 just concluded and the Summit for Democracy – with its emphasis on combating corruption – right around the corner, now is the perfect time for activists to bring together the fights against corruption and climate change.
