Indonesia optimistic about retaining FATF membership

Indonesia is optimistic about retaining its membership in the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in 2029, following the launch of the 2026 National Risk Assessment on money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing of weapons of mass destruction in preparation for the FATF Mutual Evaluation Review (MER) 2029-2030.

This was conveyed by Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra as keynote speaker at the launch in Jakarta on Thursday.

“As we know, Indonesia has officially become the 40th member of FATF since 2023 and we will maintain our position,” said Yusril.

According to him, since joining, Indonesia’s development has been quite good in maintaining its membership position within the organisation, which comprises developed and developing countries working together to establish and implement common standards to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing of weapons of mass destruction.

“Alhamdulillah, developments from year to year have been quite good. There is nothing negative and the assessment is positive, and we are obliged to maintain it,” he said.

It is not enough merely to maintain it, he said; every ministry and agency involved needs to further improve the achievements made in efforts to cooperate in eradicating money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing.

In his directives, Yusril emphasised that the National Risk Assessment (NRA) launched today — namely the NRA on money laundering, the NRA on terrorist financing, and the NRA on proliferation financing for 2026 — is a national risk map to identify threats, vulnerabilities, and risks facing Indonesia and to determine which areas require greater attention and resources.

According to him, these three aspects are very important and fundamental for Indonesia in implementing programmes to follow up on national policies, including programmes adopted by the President relating to legal and bureaucratic reform.

One legal aspect, he continued, is making maximum efforts to prevent money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing.

“And also what the President has emphasised is our efforts to combat drug smuggling and so forth,” he said.

Meanwhile, Head of the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) Ivan Yustiavandana explained that the NRA launched by Coordinating Minister Yusril is Indonesia’s national risk map relating to money laundering and terrorist financing, which is a mandatory document for every country to be assessed as compliant or non-compliant with FATF recommendations.

“As the Coordinating Minister said earlier, we launched three documents. Alhamdulillah, we produced them together with all relevant ministries and agencies under the direction of the Coordinating Minister, as he conveyed in his remarks and directives,” he said.

Ivan conveyed Indonesia’s readiness to face the FATF MER in 2029, supported by a database on the handling of money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing for 2025-2029.

“And we are ready to face the review by FATF in 2029, whose database will of course be the data we produce from 2025 to 2029. This is evidence that collaboration, synergy, and togetherness in the anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regime are very solid. Once again, under the direction of the Coordinating Minister,” said Ivan.