iute Albania in an assessment session with MONEYVAL: measures to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing

As a licensed financial institution supervised by the Bank of Albania, we continuously focus on new developments and best practices in the field of Anti-Money Laundering (AML). On April 21, 2026, we had the opportunity to participate in an interview with MONEYVAL, one of the most important international bodies assessing measures taken in the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

MONEYVAL is a committee of experts of the Council of Europe that analyzes a country’s legal framework and institutions, evaluating how effective banks, digital financial institutions or fintechs, public authorities, and businesses are in preventing illicit financial activities. It also prepares reports and provides recommendations for improvement. Over time, Albania has made significant and positive progress toward European standards; notably, in 2023, the country was removed from the “grey list,” which includes jurisdictions under increased international monitoring due to weaknesses in combating money laundering and terrorist financing.

iute Albania, part of the digital banking group iute Group, has also made important strides in this direction. Key developments include improvements in the digital onboarding process and electronic customer identification, where iute Albania has achieved notable results in the Albanian digital finance market.

MONEYVAL selected iute Albania as one of the most important institutions in the digital finance industry and a leader in the microfinance sector. During the meeting with MONEYVAL officials, our institution was represented by Ms. Elsa Kote, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer, and Ms. Anila Vasili, Head of Compliance and AML.

“Participating in this interview with MONEYVAL experts was a very valuable opportunity to reflect on the concrete work we have done to strengthen AML controls and compliance. I am particularly pleased that iute Albania was selected to represent the sector in which we operate, reflecting the level of development and standards we have built as an institution,” said Ms. Kote after the meeting. She also emphasized that this was an opportunity to clearly present iute’s proactive approach and the concrete measures undertaken to strengthen control systems.

iute Albania applies European standards in preventing money laundering and the financing of illicit activities, leveraging advanced technological systems such as the SALV platform for continuous customer monitoring and control. At the same time, the institution consistently invests in the professional development of its leadership through ongoing training and internationally recognized certifications, including CAMS (Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist), one of the most recognized and valued certifications globally in the AML field. This integrated approach—combining technology with human expertise—positions iute among the most advanced institutions in the sector in terms of compliance and risk management.

Among other initiatives, the use of a dedicated platform for real-time AML screening of customer profiles was highlighted, along with continuous transaction monitoring to identify and prevent suspicious activities. This represents another important step in iute Albania’s ongoing journey toward the highest standards of compliance and integrity.