FINANCE Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, said yesterday that the AFC and APNU have only themselves to blame for the consequences, whatever they might be, of their failure to pass the Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill.

Noting that many of the consequences at reference have already been discussed at length, and include the severing of international ties to local banks, the increased bureaucracy for money transactions, and the possible increase in fees, commodities and fuel to the public, Minister Singh said in a statement issued late yesterday:
“Over the past six months, Government representatives to the Select Committee have scheduled over 17 meetings in consultation with the Opposition.
“They took the position to be absent; refused to reconvene meetings promptly; and when they finally made it to the meetings, they made little use of the time, and refused to work the much-needed long hours for the good of Guyana.
“The Joint Opposition, therefore, has a responsibility and obligation to the people of Guyana to justify their sluggish and lacklustre attitude towards doing the job they have been duly elected to do by the people of Guyana.
“This kind of callous, thoughtless and detached behaviour by the Joint Opposition towards its electorate is not new, as they continue to sabotage Guyana’s development.
“Their attempts to cut our National Budget are a prime example of their strategy to destabilize Guyana’s economy at all cost. As a result of those cuts, jobs have been lost, and the daily lives of the common man and woman have been disrupted, without a care or concern, by the ACF or APNU.
“They objected to the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, the Marriott Hotel Project, the Specialty Hospital, and now the AML/CFT amendments.
It is fair to say that the only persons who do not recognize and acknowledge the merit of this Bill, and who refuse to lend support to its passage, are the 33 members of the Opposition, money launderers and criminals. The Opposition needs to be held accountable for these actions and all consequences that will follow because of their non-support of this AML/CFT legislation.”