– in passing the crucial AML/CFT Bill

THE Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, has reiterated Government’s call for passage of the crucial Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Bill.
Speaking during his presentation to the ongoing 2014 Budget debates on Monday night, AG Nandlall said, “Let ego yield to reason.”He urged Leader of the Opposition, David Granger, to “order your troops” to pass the Bill.
“Unfortunately the Bill is still languishing in the Select Committee,” Nandlall declared.
The Parliamentary Special Select Committee, which is reviewing the AML/CFT Bill, is currently waiting on the Chief Parliamentary Counsel, Cecil Dhurjon, to complete the third draft that includes amendments to the initial amendments proposed by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).
The APNU’s three amendments address a: change the entire governing apparatus of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU); remove the Attorney General wherever that name appears and replace it with the FIU; and vest a police officer or customs officer with a power to seize currency from any person, anywhere in Guyana, if those officers have reason to believe that the currency is the proceeds of crime or will be used to finance crime.
In addition to their amendments, the main Opposition APNU is also calling for the Head of State to assent to several Bills he returned to the National Assembly with an explanation of his decision, reasons that were centered on the unconstitutionality of the legislations.
On the other hand, the Alliance For Change (AFC), which supports APNU’s position, is calling for the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) – which Government has expressed its support for, providing that Cabinet retains its no-objection role in the procurement process. The latter has been rejected by the AFC.
Guyana missed the February 28 deadline, when the country was required to submit a report to CFATF, which was expected to 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.
Guyana, unfortunately, was only able to report on the non-legislative recommendations by CFATF.
If the May Plenary is dissatisfied with Guyana’s progress, CFATF’s November 2013 statement already provides the decision for the country’s referral to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which meets again in June 2014.

(By Vanessa Narine )