GUYANA was unable to pass the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) (Amendment) Bill yesterday as hoped.

And Members of Parliament from all three represented political parties expressed varying views on the delay, which has affected Guyana’s ability to properly report to the Caribbean Action Task Force (CFATF).

Guyana is required to submit a report to CFATF on February 28, which must include a copy of the enacted Bill, which will, after analysis, be correlated to the deficiencies identified by the body at its November 2013 Plenary meeting, before a report is made in May 2014.
Government Chief Whip and Chair of the Special Select Committee, Gail Teixeira, reviewing the Bill, noted that,
“Guyana will be submitting its report; however, Guyana will only be able to report on the non-legislative moves we have made to date. The report will be minus the legislative recommendations made by CFAFT, minus the Bill, which is about 80 per cent of the requirements of the body.”

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, said, “We have to report to CFATF that the Bill has not been passed.
“What else will be contained in the report is still to be decided.”
Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, stressed that Guyana’s inability to report on compliance with the legislative recommendations is unfortunate.

He said, “Our inability to report on this aspect is largely because the Committee was unable to complete its work, which is due to the amendments put forward by the Opposition.
“This should not have happened. The reasonable position would have been to bring back to the National Assembly the Bill, on which there is unanimous support, in order for Guyana to be compliant.”

Leader of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), David Granger, told the Guyana Chronicle that at this stage the content of the report is what is to be decided.
He said, “Up to yesterday (Wednesday) we met with the President and sought to come to an agreement, but the Government was inflexible.
“As such we were unable to reach a solution.”
APNU’s Shadow Finance Minister, Carl Greenidge, echoed similar sentiments.

He said, “I think we have reached an unnecessary point. The Government has to understand the situation in which they are working, they are not a majority Government, but a minority Government and concessions have to be reached with the other political parties in the House.
Deputy Speaker and APNU front-bencher, Basil Williams, also commented on the Committee’s inability to complete its work.
Williams said, “It appears that the Government has dropped the ball on the drop dead date. Our position is that we want the amendments; however, the CPC (Chief Parliamentary Counsel) was unable to complete the draft for the Committee’s consideration.”
The Alliance For Change (AFC) Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, stressed that the missed deadline will now validate comments made by the political parties.
“I am waiting to see heaven come down,” he said.
He stated that if the Select Committee by the next meeting, scheduled for March 5, can complete its work the Attorney General can still make representations to CFAFT to indicate that Guyana is compliant.
Guyana, with the current state of event, is likely to be recommended for international sanctions by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), in addition to already being blacklisted regionally by CFAFT.

(By Vanessa Narine)