OWSA Contributor

The bill’s first reading in Parliament marks only the start of a legislative process that will face intense domestic and international scrutiny. Civil-society organisations, legal professionals and minority communities are expected to press for substantial revisions.

For a country that once stood as a global example of rapid poverty reduction, the cost of inaction is measured not only in percentage points of GDP, but in the daily struggles of millions of families left without the support they need.

Balancing genuine efforts to combat illicit finance with the protection of civic space remains a test that international standards – and international observers – will closely watch.