SUVA, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Fiji is facing a high risk of money laundering, with illicit narcotics, organized crime, tax and customs offenses, illegal fishing, bribery and corruption among the major threats, local media Fiji Broadcasting Corporation reported on Friday.
According to the report, the country's Acting Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Siromi Turaga said that the National Risk Assessment, completed in 2025, confirmed the country's high money laundering risk while updating lawmakers on the country's preparations for the 2026 mutual evaluation.
Fiji is now being assessed on its compliance with international anti-money laundering standards.
Known as a mutual evaluation, the assessment will be conducted by the Secretariat of the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering.
Turaga warned that an unfavorable assessment could result in serious negative consequences for Fiji, including being grey-listed by international partners and financial institutions.
He added that the result of this mutual evaluation will be relied upon by a wide range of domestic and international stakeholders, such as the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and international banks, to make decisions on investment, financing, and trade with Fiji.
Turaga said the mutual evaluation presents both a challenge and an opportunity for Fiji to demonstrate progress, identify remaining gaps and strengthen its financial crime prevention framework. ■