Date
Acknowledging the critical need to secure Burundi's future and drive Africa’s prosperity, parliamentarians are calling for immediate and decisive action against illicit financial flows (IFFs), money laundering and terrorism financing.
This call was made during the Awareness Workshop on the Role of Parliamentarians in Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, held from 5 and 6 May 2025 in Bujumbura, Burundi.
Co-organised by the Association of Burundian Parliamentarians (ABP), TJNA’s African Parliamentary Network on Illicit Financial Flows and Taxation (APNIFFT) and SecFin Africa, the workshop brought together over 30 Burundian parliamentarians alongside key national institutions, ranging from the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) to the judiciary and the Burundian Revenue office. Journalists and civil society organizations also joined the conversation, reinforcing the need for collective responsibility and transparency.
The awareness workshop aimed to equip parliamentarians with technical knowledge on Money Laundering (ML) and Terrorist Financing (TF) risks and trends, while clarifying their critical role in lawmaking, oversight, and policy development related to anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-financing of terrorism (CFT).
Additionally, the workshop sought to strengthen their engagement with both national and global AML/CFT frameworks, ensuring a more informed and collaborative approach to combating financial crimes.
During the session, Tax Justice Network Africa (TJNA) highlighted the strong connection between IFFs, the leakage of public resources, and underdevelopment across Africa. In his opening remarks, TJNA’s Partnerships and Member Engagement Coordinator, Mr. Amine El Kamel presented the Anti-IFF Policy Tracker, a comprehensive platform designed to monitor, evaluate, and strengthen tax-related anti-IFFs policies across African countries.
Developed through collaboration between TJNA, the Africa Union's Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry, and Minerals Department (AU-ETTIM), and the Africa Tax Administration Forum (ATAF), this tool offers policymakers a clear roadmap to move from intention to action in the fight against IFFs. Mr. Amine El Kamel highlighted a sobering reality that Africa loses billions of dollars each year to illicit financial flows, funds that should be directed toward funding schools, hospitals, and other essential social services and infrastructure. The session shed light on the detrimental effects of IFFs on domestic resource mobilization (DRM) and sustainable development.
Overreliance on foreign aid and debt was highlighted as one of the issues affecting developing countries, therefore Mr. Amine called for strong, accountable, and equitable domestic systems. “The ongoing financial crimes are siphoning off billions of dollars that could be invested in essential sectors like education, healthcare, and infrastructure, hindering development and deepening inequality across the continent,” added Mr. Amine.
During the workshop, parliamentarians asserted that the time to act is now, emphasising their crucial role in fortifying legal frameworks, enhancing transparency, and ensuring accountability to close these financial flows and safeguard resources for the benefit of all citizens.
In their remarks, Hon. Dr. Jean Galvanis M’Gassiyombo, Hon. Nancy Kabeyeka Abisai, Mr. Apollinaire Nishirimberi, Mr. Amine El Kamel, called for African leadership to tackle the systemic loss of resources caused by IFFs.
Another highlight was the discussion on the UN Tax Convention, presented as a potential turning point in global tax governance. As a more inclusive framework, it offers a historic opportunity for African countries to reshape international tax rules and reclaim resources lost to loopholes and abuse.
Parliamentarians were urged to rise to the challenge. The fight against money laundering and terrorist financing is not confined to technical experts, it needs political will, legislative action, and public accountability.
TJNA is building a new Africa where tax justice prevails. Alongside leading researchers, policymakers, campaigners, and civil society organisations, the organisation is mobilising a movement to comprehensively transform tax policy, challenge harmful investment practices, improve international tax transparency, and restore sovereignty of natural resources back to African countries.
For more information on the Awareness Workshop on the Role of Parliamentarians in Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, please contact Amine El Kamel amine[@]taxjusticeafrica.net