【国会发言】新加坡总理黄循财：采取强硬措施打击金融犯罪，重点是洗钱、恐怖主义融资

以下内容为新加坡眼根据国会英文资料翻译整理：

反洗钱金融行动特别工作组（FATF）主席拉杰·库马尔先生，
FATF代表团和观察员们，
女士们、先生们， 首先，让我向所有代表们热情欢迎您们来到新加坡。今年是FATF成立35周年。我想借此机会祝贺FATF达到这一重要的里程碑。

 

FATF最初由16个成员国组成，旨在阻止毒品贩子和卡特尔组织洗钱其非法获利。

 

如今，FATF已成为一个全球性组织，其职责范围更广。FATF制定的标准被200多个司法管辖区使用，用于打击洗钱、恐怖主义资金筹集和扩散融资。

 

这些努力确保了全球金融系统的安全和完整性，使世界变得更加安全。

 

新的威胁

 

虽然我们取得了进展，但犯罪分子始终在寻找机会和漏洞来利用。打击金融犯罪是一场持续的战斗，我们必须保持警惕，并不断优化以应对新的威胁。

 

近年来，电子交易的兴起使得购买和销售商品和服务变得更加便利。但这也为犯罪分子提供了新的机会，例如进行诈骗等犯罪行为。

 

虚拟资产的出现和数字支付渠道的增加，使得犯罪分子更容易移动和隐藏其非法所得。他们能够跨越国界进行操作，并利用国家执法机构之间存在的信息孤岛。

 

没有任何一个国家可以单独解决这些威胁。这就是为什么FATF在领导协调全球努力方面变得更加重要的原因。在这方面，我很高兴看到FATF在近年来在应对这些挑战方面取得的进展。

 

首先在拦截非法资金方面取得成就或进展。

 

根据国际刑警组织（INTERPOL）的数据，每年约有2到3万亿美元的非法所得通过全球金融系统流动。其中只有极小部分犯罪资产被拦截和追回，这意味着犯罪分子往往能够逍遥法外，并且从他们的犯罪中获得丰厚的利润。

 

为了解决这个问题，FATF已经修订了其标准，以增强国际合作，例如要求各国承认并执行彼此关于没收资产的法院判决。

 

FATF还与国际刑警组织合作，汇集行业专家和决策人，讨论资产追回的最佳方式，并加强执法、金融情报单位和决策人之间的合作。

 

在提升全球资产追回的努力中，现在还处于早期阶段。根据INTERPOL最新的数据显示，从非法资产的追回率已经有所改善。十年前不到1%，今年达到了约3%。虽然3%仍然偏低，我们需要做得更好。但至少我们正在朝着正确的方向前进，未来可以朝着更高的追回率努力。

 

近年来，FATF取得的第二项成就是改善法定实体（如公司和信托）的透明制度，这些实体可能被用来隐藏犯罪活动。特别值得注意的是，FATF已更新其标准，要求披露额外的信息，使执法机构能够更好地识别这些实体背后的真实所有者。

 

FATF取得的第三项成就是找出打破信息孤岛的方法。执法机构和私人金融机构会希望在涉及其来源和客户信息方面设置保障措施。然而，这些保障措施形成了犯罪分子可以利用的信息孤岛，以掩盖其行踪。为解决这一问题，FATF建议在可接受的监管框架内，执法机构与金融机构之间以及私人金融机构之间分享信息的方式。

 

新加坡支持这些努力，因为我们已经看到了打破这些信息孤岛带来的好处。

 

今年早些时候，新加坡的中央银行——新加坡金融管理局，推出了一个平台，让私营金融机构能够安全地共享红色信号客户的信息。这使它们能够更好地检测犯罪网络和活动。

 

新加坡警察部队成立了一个反诈骗中心，执法机构、主要银行和在线电子商务平台的官员在同一地点共同办公，促进实时协调，追踪可疑资金流动并冻结非法资金。

 

我们已经看到了这些举措带来的积极成果。我们能够更早地检测到欺诈行为，并为受害者追回更多的资金。

 

新加坡的承诺

 

通过FATF及其合作伙伴的共同努力，我们在全球范围内在打击洗钱和资助恐怖主义方面取得了进展。但全球打击金融犯罪的成功也取决于各国政策的有效实施。

 

新加坡作为一个国际金融和商业中心，我们意识到国家面临着更大的洗钱和资助恐怖主义风险。但我们决心采取必要的措施来应对这些风险，并维护新加坡作为一个信誉良好的金融中心的声誉。

 

为此，我们不断审查和加强我们的法律框架，使其符合FATF的标准。

 

在过去几年中，我们已经加强了监管措施，增加了所有权的透明度；引入了新的法规；并加强了现有法律，以应对与虚拟资产、以及宝石和金属交易商有关的风险。我们还加强了法律，赋予我们的执法机构更多工具和权力，以追究、起诉和制裁洗钱犯罪者。

 

我们已将资产追回作为国家反洗钱制度的重要事项。晚些时候，新加坡将发布有史以来的首个国家资产追回策略，该策略将阐明如何剥夺犯罪分子的非法资金和资产，消除犯罪分子在新加坡洗钱其非法所得的财务，并将这些资产归还给受害者。

 

新加坡采取强硬措施打击金融犯罪。但是零容忍并不意味着零发生。

 

即使是最严格的反洗钱制度也可能被犯罪分子所绕过，他们会不断寻找可以利用的漏洞。

 

同样重要的是，我们的措施不要过于狂热，不要不必要地扼杀合法的活动和投资。

 

因此，我们重点了解金融行业中可能被犯罪分子利用的最新趋势和发展，并制定工具和法律框架，能够尽早发现可疑人和活动。

 

我们的方法能够迅速而有力地对试图利用新加坡洗钱的犯罪分子采取执法行动。

 

去年八月，执法机构进行了全球规模最大的反洗钱行动之一。

 

在我们发现违法活动迹象后，我们进行了广泛的调查。

 

我们从27名嫌疑人那里查封了超过30亿新元的资产。

 

自被逮捕以来，已有10名嫌疑人在一年内被判有罪。他们约9.4亿新元的资产已被没收归国家所有，这超过了我们从他们那里查封的资产的90%以上。

 

对目前正在海外的另外17名嫌疑人的调查仍在进行中。

 

从这次行动中获得的经验和教训将被用来加强我们的法规和执法工作。

 

总结

 

总结来说，新加坡荣幸地担任了过去两年的FATF主席国，并感谢所有代表团的支持。在过去两年里取得的成就，离不开大家对我们共同使命的持续承诺和对FATF工作的贡献。

 

我相信，在即将上任的墨西哥主席国的领导下，金融行动特别工作组将继续取得重大进展，我们将着手进行即将举行的一轮相互评估，以帮助成员国在面对不断变化的威胁时加强其监管和执行机制。

 

在此，祝愿您在新加坡举行的全体会议取得丰硕和富有成效的成果。

 

Let me start by extending to all delegates a very warm welcome to Singapore. This year marks the 35th anniversary of FATF. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate FATF on reaching this milestone.

FATF was originally formed with 16 members to stop drug traffickers and cartels from laundering their ill-gotten gains.

Today, it has become a global organisation with a wider mandate. The standards developed by FATF are used by over 200 jurisdictions to combat money laundering, terrorism financing and proliferation financing.

Your efforts have ensured the safety and integrity of the global financial system and made the world a safer place.

New Threats

While we have made progress, criminals are always looking for opportunities and loopholes to exploit. The fight against financial crime is an ongoing battle, and we must stay vigilant and continually evolve to tackle new threats.

In recent years, the rise of digital transactions has made it easier to buy and sell goods and services. But it has also presented new opportunities for criminals to commit crimes, like scams.

The advent of virtual assets and increasing availability of digital payment channels have also made it easier for criminals to move and hide their illicit proceeds. They are able to operate across borders, and exploit the information silos that exist between national law enforcement agencies.

No country can address these threats by itself. That is why the FATF’s work in leading a coordinated global effort has become more important. In this regard, I am glad to note the progress that FATF has made over the recent years in addressing these challenges.

First, in the interception of illicit funds.

According to INTERPOL, around US$2 to US$3 trillion worth of illicit proceeds are channelled through the global financial system every year. A very small fraction of these criminal assets is intercepted and recovered. Which means that criminals can largely get away with, and profit handsomely from their crimes.

To address this, FATF has revised its standards to improve international cooperation, for example, by requiring countries to recognise and enforce each other’s court orders on the confiscation of assets.

FATF also worked together with INTERPOL to bring operational experts and policymakers together to discuss best practices in asset recovery, and enhance collaboration between law enforcement, financial intelligence units and policymakers.

It is early days in this drive to enhance global asset recovery. The latest figures from INTERPOL showed that recovery rate from illicit funds have improved. From less than 1% a decade ago, to about 3% this year. 3% actually is still low, we need to do better. But at least we are moving in the right direction, and we can aim for even higher recovery rates in the years to come.

The second achievement that FATF has made in the recent years is in improving transparency of legal entities, like companies and trusts, which can be used to hide criminal activities. Of note, FATF has updated its standards to require the disclosure of additional information that can allow law enforcement agencies to better identify the real owners behind these entities.

The third achievement that FATF has made is to identify ways to break down information silos. It is understandable why law enforcement agencies and private financial institutions would want to put safeguards around their information concerning their sources and clients. However, these safeguards create silos that criminals can exploit to hide their tracks. To address this, FATF has recommended ways that information can be shared between law enforcement agencies and financial institutions, and amongst private financial institutions, that are within acceptable guardrails.

Singapore supports these effort as we have seen the benefits when such information silos are broken down.

Earlier this year, our central bank, the Monetary Authority of Singapore, launched a platform for private financial institutions to securely share information with each other on customers that exhibit red flags. This enables them to better detect criminal networks and activities.

Our Singapore Police Force established an Anti-Scam Centre – where officers from law enforcement agencies, the major banks, and online e-commerce platforms all sit together at one venue, one site, to facilitate real-time coordination in tracing suspicious fund flows and freezing illicit monies.

We have seen positive outcomes from such initiatives. We have been able to detect fraud earlier and recover more monies for victims.

Singapore’s Commitment

Through the collective efforts of FATF and its partners, we have made progress against money laundering and terrorism financing at the global level. But the success of the global effort against financial crime is also dependent on effective implementation within national borders.

Singapore is fully committed to doing our part. As an international financial and business hub, we recognise that we face greater money laundering and terrorism financing risks. But we are determined to do what is needed to respond to these risks and safeguard Singapore’s reputation as a trusted financial centre.

To this end, we continually review and strengthen our legal frameworks to make them in line with the FATF’s standards.

Over the past few years, we have tightened our regulations to increase transparency on beneficial ownership; introduced new regulations; and strengthened existing laws to address risks related to virtual assets, as well as precious stones and metals dealers. We have also strengthened our laws to give our law enforcement agencies more tools and powers to pursue, prosecute and sanction offenders for money laundering offences.

We have made asset recovery a priority in our national anti-money laundering regime. Later today, Singapore will publish our first ever National Asset Recovery Strategy, which will set out how we will deprive criminals of their illicit funds and assets, remove the financial incentives for criminals to launder their illicit proceeds in Singapore, and return these assets to victims.

Singapore takes a strong approach against financial crime. But zero tolerance does not mean zero occurrence.

Even the most stringent anti-money laundering regimes can be circumvented by determined criminals who will continuously search for gaps to exploit.

It is also important that our measures are not over-zealous and do not unnecessarily stifle legitimate activities and investments.

So we adopt a risk-based approach. We focus on understanding the latest trends and developments in the financial world that can be exploited by criminals, and we develop tools and legal frameworks that will allow us to detect suspicious individuals and activities early.

Our approach has enabled us to take quick and strong enforcement action against criminals who try to use Singapore to launder their illicit funds.

In August last year, our law enforcement agencies conducted one of the largest anti-money laundering operations in the world.

After we picked up signs of illegal activities, we undertook extensive investigations.

And we seized more than S$3 billion in assets from 27 suspects.

10 suspects have since been convicted within a year of their arrest. Around S$940 million of their assets have been forfeited to the State, which is more than 90% of what we seized from them.

Investigations are ongoing against the 17 other suspects who are currently overseas.

The experience and lessons gleaned from this operation will be used to strengthen our regulations and enforcement.

Conclusion

To conclude, Singapore is honoured to have held the Presidency of the FATF over the past two years, and we would like to thank all FATF delegations for your support. The accomplishments over the past two years would not have been possible without your continued commitment to our shared mission and contributions to the FATF’s work.

I am confident that the FATF will continue to make significant progress under the incoming Mexican Presidency, where we will embark on the upcoming round of mutual evaluations to help members strengthen their regulatory and enforcement regimes in the face of ever-evolving threats.

On that note, I wish you a fruitful and productive Plenary meeting in Singapore.