Meeting at the Carthage Palace: President Kaïs Saïed Discusses the Role of the Tunisian Financial Analysis Commission in Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing
On Monday, October 6, 2025, a meeting was held at the Carthage Palace, where President Kaïs Saïed met with the Governor of the Central Bank of Tunisia, Fathi Zouheir Nouri, to discuss the role of the Tunisian Financial Analysis Commission (CTAF) in combating money laundering and terrorist financing. This meeting took place in a context marked by repeated alerts about hidden financial flows and fraudulent practices that continue to destabilize the Tunisian economy.
Official Statement from the Presidency
An official statement from the presidency revealed that significant amounts of money are being sent clandestinely from abroad, laundered, and then used by individuals or entities, banks or non-banks, without adequate control or surveillance. President Kaïs Saïed emphasized that these practices not only violate national legislation but also international conventions to which Tunisia is a party, and called for their immediate cessation.
Composition and Missions of the CTAF
The Tunisian Financial Analysis Commission, created within the Central Bank, is composed of the Governor of the Central Bank or his representative, a third-grade judge, representatives from the Ministries of Interior and Finance, the General Directorate of Customs, the Financial Markets Council, and an expert in financial crime. Members are appointed by the concerned ministers.
The CTAF is responsible for:
- Developing guidelines for detecting and reporting suspicious financial transactions
- Issuing quarterly reports to competent authorities
- Collaborating with similar commissions abroad
- Receiving information on suspicious individuals and entities at the international level
Expert Insights
According to Mohamed Nakheli, a banking law expert, the commission receives declarations of suspicious transactions from financial institutions and professionals mentioned in the anti-terrorism and anti-money laundering law, such as banks, the Tunisian Post, accountants, and lawyers. These professionals are required by law to lift their professional secrecy to report any suspicion to the CTAF.
However, despite these powers, the commission cannot directly monitor financial transfers between foreign and Tunisian banks or via the Post without prior receipt of a suspicious activity report. This limitation hinders the CTAF's ability to effectively detect certain suspicious movements.
Responsibilities and Recommendations
The CTAF is also responsible for implementing the national strategy to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. It proposes sanctions when banks fail to report suspicious transactions and exercises regular control over financial institutions and other concerned parties. The commission is required to transmit files for which suspicion is confirmed to the financial judicial pole, which is responsible for investigating and prosecuting.
According to Nakheli, despite these responsibilities, a number of suspicious activity reports are not processed, which could be due to gaps in procedures or a lack of resources. The actual volume of files and notifications handled by the CTAF remains unknown, making it difficult to evaluate its effectiveness.
Call to Action
In light of these findings, the Presidency of the Republic calls for a comprehensive review of the Tunisian financial combat system. President Kaïs Saïed emphasizes the need to increase the human and technical resources of the CTAF and improve coordination between the various institutions involved to ensure more rigorous detection and rapid judicial action.
This strengthening is essential to curb illegal financial flows, restore confidence in the national financial system, and respect Tunisia's international commitments in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.
