Myanmar Country Summary

FATF Status

Myanmar is subject to a FATF call on its members and other jurisdictions to apply enhanced due diligence measures proportionate to the risks arising from the jurisdiction.

Latest FATF Statement - 21 February 2025

In February 2020, Myanmar committed to address its strategic deficiencies. Myanmar’s action plan expired in September 2021.

In October 2022, given the continued lack of progress and the majority of its action items still not addressed after a year beyond the action plan deadline, the FATF decided that further action was necessary in line with its procedures and FATF calls on its members and other jurisdictions to apply enhanced due diligence measures proportionate to the risk arising from Myanmar. The FATF requires that as part of enhanced due diligence, financial institutions should increase the degree and nature of monitoring of the business relationship, in order to determine whether those transactions or activities appear unusual or suspicious. If no further progress is made by June 2025, the FATF will consider countermeasures.

While overall progress continues to be slow, Myanmar has made recent progress against one item in its action plan by addressing technical compliance deficiencies regarding targeted financial sanctions related to proliferation financing. Myanmar should continue to work on implementing its action plan to address these deficiencies, including by: (1) demonstrating enhanced use of financial intelligence in law enforcement authorities (LEAs) investigations, and increasing operational analysis and disseminations by the financial intelligence unit (FIU); (2) ensuring that ML is investigated/prosecuted in line with risks; (3) demonstrating investigation of transnational ML cases with international cooperation; (4) demonstrating an increase in the freezing/seizing and confiscation of criminal proceeds, instrumentalities, and/or property of equivalent value; and (5) managing seized assets to preserve the value of seized goods until confiscation.

When applying enhanced due diligence, countries should ensure that flows of funds for humanitarian assistance, legitimate NPO activity and remittances are neither disrupted nor discouraged. The FATF will also continue to monitor whether Myanmar’s AML/CFT activities apply undue scrutiny to legitimate financial flows.

Myanmar will remain on the list of countries subject to a call for action until its full action plan is completed.

European Commission list of countries with strategic deficiencies in their AML/CFT regimes

Myanmar is on the EU Commission list of High Risk jurisdictions which have been identified as having strategic deficiencies in their anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regimes that pose significant threats to the financial system of the European Union (‘high-risk third countries’).

Compliance with FATF Recommendations

The latest follow-up Mutual Evaluation Report relating to the implementation of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing standards in Myanmar was undertaken in 2024. According to that Evaluation, Myanmar was deemed Compliant for 7 and Largely Compliant for 19 of the FATF 40 Recommendations. It remains Highly Effective for 0 and Substantially Effective for 0 of the Effectiveness & Technical Compliance ratings.

The US State Department's Investment Climate Statement highlights the pervasive corruption in Myanmar, exacerbated by the military regime's control over law enforcement and judicial institutions, which lack independence. Despite some anti-corruption measures, such as the establishment of new Anti-Corruption Commission offices, the regime has manipulated these efforts for political gain, targeting dissenters and business leaders. Additionally, the country faces severe issues related to human trafficking, arms trafficking, and drug production, all of which are intertwined with the military's reliance on illicit economies and the deteriorating governance since the 2021 coup.

Myanmar's economy has faced significant challenges since the military coup on February 1, 2021, which reversed a decade of economic progress. The country's real GDP contracted sharply by 9% in FY 2020-21 and an additional 12% in FY 2021-22, although it showed a modest recovery with a 4% growth in FY 2022-23 and an estimated 1% in FY 2023-24. The ongoing conflict, economic mismanagement, and foreign exchange restrictions have severely hampered commercial activity and deterred foreign investment.

The investment climate in Myanmar has significantly deteriorated following the military coup on February 1, 2021, which reversed previous economic progress and led to a sharp decline in commercial activity. Foreign exchange restrictions imposed by the Central Bank of Myanmar, along with arbitrary detentions and the potential for property expropriation, have heightened risks for investors, prompting many foreign companies to suspend operations or withdraw entirely. The lack of transparency and rule of law further complicates the investment landscape, making it essential for potential investors to conduct thorough due diligence.