National Security Minister Rayburn Blackmoore has warned banks operating in Dominica to verify that nonprofit organisations hold the required ministerial licence before opening accounts for them, saying the requirement is a legal obligation that cannot be overlooked.
Blackmoore raised the matter at a recently held press conference, where he said financial institutions have a duty to confirm that any nonprofit body seeking an account has been properly licensed by the relevant minister. He indicated that the licence is not a formality but a safeguard tied to the country's obligations on financial transparency and security.
The minister's intervention places the responsibility squarely on banks to check documentation before establishing a banking relationship with a nonprofit organisation. Under the arrangement he described, an organisation that has not obtained the ministerial licence should not be able to open an account, and institutions that fail to carry out the check leave themselves exposed.
Nonprofit organisations in Dominica range from church groups and village associations to charities, sports bodies and cultural committees, many of which handle funds for community projects, disaster relief and social programmes. For such groups, access to a bank account is essential to receiving donations, grants and membership subscriptions, and to accounting properly for money collected.
Blackmoore's warning also comes against the wider regional and international emphasis on ensuring that nonprofit bodies are not misused for illicit financial activity. Caribbean jurisdictions have faced sustained pressure from correspondent banks and international partners to demonstrate that charities and similar entities are registered, licensed where required, and subject to proper oversight.
For ordinary Dominicans, the practical effect is that community organisations may be asked for additional paperwork when they approach a bank. Groups that have completed the licensing process should be able to present their documents without difficulty, while those that have not may need to regularise their status before an account can be opened.
The minister did not suggest that any particular organisation or bank had acted improperly. His remarks were framed as a general reminder of the rules that apply to the sector, delivered in the context of the government's continuing attention to national security and financial integrity.
Banks in Dominica are expected to apply customer due diligence measures as part of their normal operations, and the minister's statement reinforces that nonprofit accounts fall within that framework. Institutions that follow the guidance will need to satisfy themselves that a valid ministerial licence is in place before proceeding.
Nonprofit organisations that are unsure of their position may wish to seek clarification from the relevant authorities, since the licence requirement now sits at the centre of how banks are being asked to handle their accounts. The message from the National Security Minister is that the check must come first, and that the licence is the document that opens the door.
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