WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao’s system for identifying who truly owns companies and legal entities remains one of the weakest links in its anti-money-laundering framework, according to the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF).
Although bearer shares have been abolished and a national decree on Ultimate Beneficial Ownership (UBO) registration was adopted in 2024, the CFATF finds that implementation is still at an early stage. Data accuracy, verification, and enforcement remain problematic.
Authorities lack sufficient mechanisms to ensure that beneficial ownership information is complete, up to date, and reliable. Sanctions for non-compliance are limited and rarely applied, reducing the deterrent effect.
Given Curaçao’s history as an international financial and corporate services hub, the CFATF stresses that strengthening transparency around legal persons is critical to preventing abuse for money laundering and tax evasion.