UAE’s Foreign Exchange and Remittance Group (FERG) recently conducted anti-money laundry (AML) training to over 1,500 front-line staff members operating in the industry all over the country.

The training campaign has achieved around 95 per cent penetration across the exchange and remittance industry in the UAE.

“Our aim is to catalyse a robust, transparent exchange and remittance industry in the UAE. Towards this end, we facilitate the creation of common templates, blueprints and procedures for our members to combat unethical practices, and be aware of AML procedures. We regularly hold trainings where we invite our members to participate,” said FERG chairman Osama Al Rahma.

“The people we train then go on to instruct their fellow employees, creating blanket awareness of AML practices, and potential concerns that industry stakeholders should be aware of.

“While working towards a strong, healthy and regulated remittance sector across the UAE, FERG also seeks to benefit its members in various ways. By conducting these regular AML workshops, we ensure all our members- regardless of size, resources and reach - are made aware of AML concerns, trends and best practices. We have been successful in getting core messages out to employees on the front line. This has resulted in increased vigilance, and created a higher, more secure level of service provision across the industry in the UAE,” Al Rahma added.

The ongoing initiative is a part of FERG’s strategy to create a unified platform of awareness for all its members, targeting employees ranging from decision makers to front-line customer service representatives.

FERG’s extensive membership base in the UAE has directly facilitated the reach and impact of its AML training sessions. Most of the country’s notable exchange houses are FERG members. Those include 747 branches across the UAE of which 370 are based in Dubai, 170 in Abu Dhabi, and 103 in Sharjah. The rest are situated in the other Northern Emirates.

“Our AML training sessions are part of our overall strategy to ensure that the country’s exchange and remittance sector operates to world class standards and complies with regulations across all jurisdictions. We will continue to provide assistance to our members in becoming aware of local, regional and global developments and best practices in this regard,” Al Rahma concluded. – TradeArabia News Service