SecFin Africa expands fight against financial crime

EU Ambassador to Namibia, Ana Beatriz Martins (Photo by European Union)

Namibia has completed its first specialised training programme aimed at combating illicit financial flows, part of a broader European Union initiative to strengthen tax and revenue systems across the continent.

The year-long course, delivered through the EU-funded SecFin Africa project in partnership with the Swedish Tax Agency, brought together participants from the Bank of Namibia, the Namibia Revenue Agency, and the Financial Intelligence Centre. The programme focused on tightening tax enforcement, with particular emphasis on withholding tax on services, which is an area frequently exploited in cross-border financial crime.

EU Ambassador to Namibia Ana Beatriz Martin said there is a need for coordinated tax governance and stronger institutional capabilities as governments confront increasingly complex financial threats.

The SecFin Africa project covers 49 African countries and is designed to improve the technical capacity of national authorities to detect, investigate, and prevent revenue losses linked to illicit transactions.