GENERAL-SECRETARY of the People’s Progressive Party, Clement Rohee, bemoaned the continued non-meetings of the Parliamentary Special Select Committee reviewing the Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) (Amendment) Bill.And yesterday at a news conference at Freedom House, he noted that the party is not optimistic that the Bill will be passed before the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) begins its targeted review of the country’s AML/CFT framework in October.
“I am not optimistic that the Bill will be passed because the Opposition has thrown down the gauntlet on the matter and they are using the Bill as a bargaining chip, which we totally reject,” Rohee said.
Additionally, the National Assembly goes into a two-month recess on Friday, August 8.
The General-Secretary stated that when Parliament comes out of recess, the circumstances could very likely result in the session being a new front for a parliamentary struggle.
Until then, he made clear that the Party and the Government are committed to doing all it can. “The Government has a responsibility to respond to FATF, so work will continue,” Rohee said.
According to him, these efforts will include addressing the challenges with the AML/CFT Bill via parliamentary and extra-parliamentary struggles.
“Parliamentary struggle means fighting tooth and nail in the Parliament and exposing the Opposition in the parliament… and extra-parliamentary struggle means working with the people, working in the streets, working in the communities, towns to mobilise supporters and non-supporters to sensitise them on our position….it is a combination on fronts on which we are working,” Rohee said.

TARGETED REVIEW
FATF, earlier this month, officially confirmed its decision to commence a targeted review of Guyana, in a letter dated July 9, 2014, prior to its October 2014 plenary meeting.
And the international watchdog body made it clear that the purpose of this targeted review will be to examine the most significant deficiencies in Guyana’s AML/CFT framework that pose a risk to the international financial system. According to FATF, its review will identify steps that should be taken to address those deficiencies through the development of an Action Plan.
FATF said in its letter: “This review will be conducted by the International Co-operation Review Group (ICRG), Americas Regional Review Group (ARRG), co-chaired by Ms. Darlene Boileau (Canada) and Ms. Maria Fernanda Garcia-Yrigoyen Maúrtua (Peru).
“In our capacity as ICRG co-chairs, we now request your full cooperation in assisting the ARRG to conduct this work, including by providing up-to-date information on your jurisdiction related to AML and CFT issues as requested by the ARRG co-chairs.”
Guyana, according to the letter, will be given an opportunity to review the draft targeted review and to have a face-to-face meeting with the ARRG.
At its next meeting from October 20th-24th, 2014 in Paris, France, the FATF is expected to discuss the results of Guyana’s targeted review. If Guyana is deemed non-compliant a public statement from FATF to its member countries will be issued at that meeting advising recommended sanctions against Guyana.
Written By Vanessa Narine