Removal from the FATF grey list: What will change for the Ivorian economy, according to the Deputy Prime Minister

Meeting in plenary session in Paris on October 30, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) officially removed Côte d'Ivoire from its grey list. This decision culminates a rigorous process of nearly 24 months during which the Ivorian authorities met all 14 required recommendations, thereby strengthening the security of the national financial system.

A strong signal sent to the international community

For the Ivorian Deputy Prime Minister, Téné Birahima Ouattara, this compliance is above all a demonstration of method and institutional efficiency. "The main message for the international financial community is that, thanks to the leadership and the relevance of the President of the Republic's public policy and management choices, Côte d'Ivoire knows how to organize itself to meet all challenges ," he emphasized. He reiterated that the stability of the financial framework remains an absolute priority: "The international financial community must understand that the stability and security of the financial management framework are important to the Government and that everything is being done to guarantee them."

Structural reforms and a praised method

To achieve this result, the country undertook profound organizational changes: strengthening international cooperation, improving risk-based supervision, toughening sanctions, and automating financial intelligence. A field assessment conducted in September 2026 by 35 independent experts confirmed the full effectiveness of these measures.

The Ivorian model has also distinguished itself through political oversight at the highest level. "The organization put in place by Côte d'Ivoire is considered a model to be shared with other countries ," explains Téné Birahima Ouattara, adding that financial management is also inseparable from national security: "Removal from the list means that we have a financial system management architecture capable of meeting certain types of challenges, including in terms of anticipating [the fight against terrorism]."

A major lever for the real economy

From an economic standpoint, removal from the grey list eliminates the prudential barriers that weighed on cross-border financial flows. It should stimulate foreign direct investment (FDI) and reduce borrowing costs for both the government and the private sector. "The economy is largely based on trust. Strengthening international credibility is therefore a factor in consolidating confidence in our country and, consequently, an accelerator of investor choice towards our economic sectors ," explains the Deputy Prime Minister.

Maintaining momentum in the face of future challenges

Far from viewing this success as an end in itself, the Ivorian government intends to maintain rigorous monitoring for future evaluation cycles. "This is not an end in itself. Our challenge today is to maintain this organization, this momentum of reforms and monitoring of the various indicators ," concluded Téné Birahima Ouattara, reaffirming the government's commitment to sustaining these high standards.