Paraguay Country Summary

FATF Status

Paraguay is no longer on the FATF List of Countries that have been identified as having strategic AML deficiencies

Latest FATF Statement - 21 June 2013

The FATF welcomes Paraguay’s significant progress in improving its AML/CFT regime and notes that Paraguay has largely met its commitments in its Action Plan regarding the strategic deficiencies that the FATF had identified in February 2010. Paraguay is therefore no longer subject to FATF’s monitoring process under its on-going global AML/CFT compliance process. Paraguay will work with GAFISUD as it continues to address the full range of AML/CFT issues identified in its Mutual Evaluation Report, particularly regarding further implementation of Special Recommendation VI and Special Recommendation IX.

Compliance with FATF Recommendations

The last Mutual Evaluation Report relating to the implementation of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing standards in Paraguay was undertaken in 2022. According to that Evaluation, Paraguay was deemed Compliant for 17 and Largely Compliant for 20 of the FATF 40 Recommendations. It was Highly Effective for 0 and Substantially Effective for 1 of the Effectiveness & Technical Compliance ratings.

Paraguay's investment climate is severely affected by widespread corruption and impunity, with 90 percent of public institutions lacking effective oversight. Despite previous efforts to enhance transparency and accountability, such as the establishment of an open data portal and a Good Governance Code, significant challenges remain, particularly in the judiciary and legislative branches. The recent National Strategy to Combat Corruption aims to increase government transparency but fails to address the entrenched impunity of corrupt officials, leaving investors frustrated by bureaucratic hurdles and limited enforcement of contracts.

Paraguay has a small but growing open economy, averaging 2.8 percent GDP growth annually over the past decade, driven primarily by agriculture, energy, retail, and construction sectors. The government actively encourages foreign investment through tax breaks and guarantees for capital repatriation, although challenges such as corruption and judicial insecurity persist, hindering the overall investment climate.

Paraguay's investment climate is characterized by a government that actively encourages foreign investment through favorable laws, including tax breaks and the full repatriation of capital and profits. However, challenges such as corruption, judicial insecurity, and bureaucratic inefficiencies hinder the ease of doing business, particularly for U.S. companies facing issues with government contracts and procurement processes. Despite these obstacles, Paraguay has received credit rating upgrades, indicating growing investor confidence in its economic stability.