The Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT) is strengthening the framework for combating money laundering, terrorism financing and proliferation financing (AML/CFT/PF) applicable to manual exchange bureaus.
To this end, the BCT has published Circular No. 2026-2 concerning the obligations of exchange bureaus in this regard.
According to the new circular, the exchange bureau is required to implement an internal vigilance and monitoring system appropriate to the scale of its activity, the nature of its clientele and transaction volumes, and the risks associated with this activity.
This system is deployed at each exchange bureau operated by the manual money changer when they operate more than one bureau.
Furthermore, the exchange bureau must define and implement a system for identifying and assessing the risks of money laundering, terrorism financing and financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to which it is exposed, as well as measures to mitigate these risks.
The manual money changer is required to identify clients who wish to use its services, as well as the beneficial owners, using official documents and other documents from independent and reliable sources. These documents must be valid and bear a photograph of the client.
The information form, copies of identity documents, the exchange slip, and any other document produced, as applicable, must be filed in a dossier opened in the client’s name.
