A GUYANA Government delegation, led by President Donald Ramotar, who met with a visiting Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) team over the weekend, will brief Cabinet today on the outcome of that meeting.The briefing would be in the interest of making a decision on the way forward, General Secretary of the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Mr. Clement Rohee told reporters yesterday.
“Based on the outcome of the meeting, we will have to plot the way forward,” he said.
Guyana is now facing its ‘last and final’ deadline, May 29, after missing all of the earlier ones passed, due to the ongoing political gridlock that has delayed the passage of the critically important Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Bill.
Despite the urgings of the CFATF representatives on the necessity for the passing of the legislation, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) have not budged on their positions.
The Head of State, on Sunday, chastised both of those Opposition political parties on what he called their blatant, anti-national and anti-developmental thrust, accusing them of deliberately trying to sabotage the development of the country and the bright future of Guyanese citizens.
He also lamented the fact that the combined Opposition would not yield to reason or allow better sense to prevail in allowing for the enactment of the crucial AML/CFT law, in order for Guyana to avoid becoming internationally blacklisted.
The President declared: “The Opposition simply does not care about the dire consequences its callous and vindictive actions will have on Guyana and the future of our citizens.
“…the Opposition is blatantly pursuing an anti-national and anti-developmental agenda, one that is obviously aimed at destabilising the country and sabotaging the future of our people.”
APNU’s original three amendments proffer a change to the entire governing apparatus of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU); removal of the Attorney General wherever that name appears and replacement of it with the FIU and vesting a Police or Customs officer with the power to seize currency from any person, anywhere in Guyana, if those officers have reason to believe that it is the proceeds of crime or will be used to fund criminal activities.
In addition to their proposed changes, APNU is also calling for the Head of State to assent to several Bills he returned to the National Assembly with the explanation that they were unconstitutional.
Meanwhile, the AFC, which supports APNU’s position, is demanding the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC), which Government has agreed to, providing that Cabinet retains its no-objection role in the process but the latter has been rejected by the AFC.
REASONABLE POSITION
Chair of the Parliamentary Special Select Committee, Ms. Gail Teixeira, in a prior interview, explained that the Government’s stance is “most reasonable” and is its “minimum”.
She added that it is the simplest and least confrontational of all, underscoring the difficultly in the negotiation process, given that neither APNU nor the AFC is willing to compromise on their “maximum” positions.
“The Opposition has not been persuaded to move one iota on its maximum positions…this is not something to take lightly…this is a serious development in our country,” Teixeira said.
According to her, Government is working to come to an agreeable situation but is not “living in a fool’s paradise” when it comes down to recognising that there is little room for negotiation.
She stated: “For us, the door is open and we continue to do our best. We will try to free this Bill from being held hostage and we continue to do our best.”
“It has been an awfully long haul,” Teixeira remarked, referring to the fact that the Committee’s work has been ongoing for more than 10 months.
Non-passage of the Bill will not only affect Guyana and its economy, but the Region as a whole.
MORE CHANGES
The AML/CFT Bill is still with the Committee, which is reviewing it and is, currently, waiting on Chief Parliamentary Counsel Cecil Dhurjon to complete a new draft that includes more changes to the initial ones proposed by APNU.
Guyana has already been blacklisted regionally by CFATF and if May 29 passes without the enactment of the AML/CFT Bill, the country can be recommended to the international body, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), for review by the International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG).
If that recommendation is made, Guyana could face further sanctions, including being internationally blacklisted.
Getting off that blacklist could take as many as 18 months at the regional level alone, CFATF Advisor, Mr. Roger Hernandez said, during his visit here on February 21.
Both CFATF and FATF have hosted meetings throughout the year to review progress, as well as to advocate changes to tighten the legislative framework that addresses money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
(Vanessa Narine)