The Bank of Namibia says the country has made steady progress in strengthening its fight against money laundering and financial crime.
Director of the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), Bryan Eiseb, last week announced that Namibia’s performance has improved in the 2025 Basel Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Financial Crime Risk Index.
According to the index, Namibia’s score improved from 5.09 in 2023 to 4.89 in 2024, and further to 4.78 in 2025. On the index scale, 10 represents the highest risk, while 0 is the lowest. A lower score means better performance. This improvement places Namibia as the fifth best-performing country in Africa, with one of the lowest risks of money laundering and financial crime on the continent.
Eiseb said the Basel AML Index is an independent research tool that measures how exposed countries are to money laundering and financial crime. It looks at the strength of laws and institutions, levels of corruption, financial transparency, and how effective countries are in preventing and fighting financial crimes. “The continued improvement shows Namibia’s strong commitment to protecting the integrity of its financial system,” he said.
He added that the progress reflects the combined efforts of supervisory authorities, law enforcement agencies, reporting institutions, and policymakers. These groups have worked together to improve compliance, coordination, and enforcement of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing measures.
Eiseb said the reforms introduced across the national AML and CFT system are delivering clear and internationally recognised results. He noted that the improved 2025 Basel AML Index score also supports Namibia’s National Development Plan 6 (NDP6) goals. Under Pillar One, which focuses on economic growth and resilience, Namibia aims to reduce illicit financial flows from 9% of gross domestic product in 2024 to 5% by 2030.
The FIC said it will continue working with all stakeholders to further strengthen the country’s financial crime prevention systems. -pmukokobi@nepc.com.na