Luncheon says Gov’t committed to solution even with longest odds

THE political Opposition, particularly A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), is yet to provide Guyana with a comprehensive report of its position against the provisions in the amended Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Bill. 

“We willing to tie hands with the devil to avert further deterioration….(but) our nightmare is the Opposition is yet to timely provide Guyana with what they think will work, the solution.” – Dr Roger Luncheon

Conversely, the Government has noted the willingness of the Alliance for Change (AFC) to support the legislation on certain conditions.
“They (AFC) are willing. At least we give them credit. They are willing to say how and under what conditions they would support a bill that would have prevented blacklisting of Guyana. That is much more than APNU has said and done,” Secretary to the Cabinet, Dr. Roger Luncheon observed yesterday.
He spoke on the issue during his usual post-Cabinet media briefing at Office of the President, Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, in Georgetown.
Luncheon, also Head of the Presidential Secretariat, said: “Our nightmare is the Opposition is yet to timely provide Guyana with what they think will work, the solution.”

PROFOUNDLY DEFECTIVE
“We return to a January 16 sitting of the National Assembly with an Opposition that would have us believe that there is something that is so profoundly defective with the bill that blacklisting of Guyana is a justifiable option.
“My whole thrust today is what are we engaging around? Do we have a meaningful discourse? What are you putting on the table? What do you have against this bill? What do you have to replace it?”
Despite a Parliamentary Special Select Committee made possible months of meetings on the issue, Guyana is still nowhere close to an understanding of an Opposition solution, Luncheon pointed out.
He said: “To this day, no one has seen and nowhere has there been presented by anything or anyone in APNU colours a comprehensive APNU position against the provisions in the amended bill. And, importantly, what their alternative proposals are. No one, nowhere, nothing and there are people, Guyanese, public figures who join them in defending this position.”
Dr Luncheon recalled how every conceivable effort was made by the Administration to avoid blacklisting. “And after the November 18 decision of the CFATF Plenary, every decision that is made by the other jurisdictions to blacklist hurts us, hurts this country. Every such decision. And it encourages us to engage in every conceivable effort. You might say we willing to tie hands with the devil to avert further deterioration.”
He said the situation with regards to the bill is continuing to worsen. “Our last engagement with the Private Sector attests to that fact. So, even if it was the longest of odds, this Administration is committed to exploring with the Opposition having the bill enacted.”

(By Telesha Ramnarine)