CABO VERDE · PARLIAMENT
Cabo Verde’s government will ask parliament to pass its anti-money laundering bill a second time, under urgent procedure, because the first approval expired before the bill became law. Carla Lima, leader of the parliamentary group of the governing African Party for the Independence of Cabo Verde (PAICV), said on Tuesday 10 November 2026 that parliament had approved the text in the previous term but it was never promulgated, the final step in which the president signs it into law.
Lima said a bill that was not completed lapses when the parliamentary mandate ends, so the new parliament must vote again. For foreign banks and investors dealing with the archipelago, the existing law stays in force while the amendments wait for approval.
Key Facts
- What The government will ask parliament to approve a bill amending Cabo Verde’s anti-money laundering law.
- Why again The previous parliament approved it, but it lapsed when that parliament’s term ended.
- What changes Lima said the main change is how the Financial Information Unit, the agency that receives suspicious-transaction reports, is designated.
- When The government will ask for it at the first plenary session (full sitting of parliament) of November, which opens on Wednesday 11 November.
- Next After the vote, the president must promulgate the law; the presidential election is on 15 November.
What Lima Said
Lima spoke after the PAICV parliamentary group’s preparation days for the first plenary session of November. She said the bill had been discussed and approved by deputies before, but lost its validity when the mandate ended, so it has to return to parliament to be approved again.
She said there are no major differences of position on the text. The one necessary correction concerns the designation of the Financial Information Unit, so that it conforms to national and international law.
What a Financial Information Unit Does
A Financial Information Unit is the national agency that receives and analyses reports of suspicious financial transactions from banks and other regulated businesses. International anti-money laundering standards typically call for each country to have one.
Lima did not describe the change in more detail, and we have not seen the bill text. The government will ask for urgent procedure, a fast-track route.
What Happens Next
Lima said the government will ask parliament to approve the bill again, under urgent procedure, at the first plenary session of November, the full sitting of all deputies. A vote in general, the first plenary vote, is expected during the November session, and no exact date has been given.
After approval the president must promulgate the bill, which Lima said will fall to the next President of the Republic. Cabo Verde holds the first round of its presidential election on Sunday 15 November 2026, with a runoff, if needed, on 29 November.
What It Means for You
Banks, investors and property buyers dealing with Cabo Verde work under these rules, so the bill matters to anyone moving money in or out of the islands. Lima said the main change concerns how that unit is designated.
Related reading: an investigation of a drug network that led to 11 arrests, a wave of crypto fraud that hit local savers and who holds power in Cabo Verde. More coverage is on our Cabo Verde page.
What Is Not Known
We have not seen the bill number, its text or the exact date of the vote. It is not clear whether committees will propose changes beyond the Financial Information Unit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Cabo Verde need to pass the bill again?
Parliament approved it in the previous term, but it was never promulgated. It lapsed when that term ended, so the new parliament must approve it again.
What does the new bill change?
Deputy Carla Lima said the key change concerns how the Financial Information Unit is designated. The aim is to match national and international legislation.
What is urgent procedure?
It is a fast-track route through parliament. The government says it will ask for it at the first plenary session of November.
When will the bill become law?
Parliament must approve it again, then the president must promulgate it. No final date has been given.
Sources: Statements by Carla Lima, deputy of the PAICV parliamentary group, on 10 November 2026 (the text of the bill has not been seen by us).
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