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AML/CFT meetings resume… Govt. modifies counter-proposals to APNU amendments

Apr 25, 2014 News

The Select Committee tasked with addressing the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Bill met last evening for the first time since the hiatus to facilitate the budget debates, and at yesterday’s meeting, the Chief Parliamentary Counsel, Cecil Dhurjon, resubmitted a revised draft of the government’s proposed amendments.
This is according to A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s Chief Financial Spokesperson, Carl Greenidge, who in a brief telephone interview with this publication, following the meeting, said that while there has been a narrowing of the gap as it relates to the amendments, there are still aspects that the coalition would have difficulty with.
Greenidge said that when the first draft was submitted by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel, they had voiced concerns about aspects of it, which caused it to be revised again. He said this is a standard practice in negotiations, where proposals are revised multiple times before signing off on a final document.
He indicated that most of what was submitted by government is in keeping with what the political opposition has called for.
Greenidge reported, too, that last evening’s meeting also saw time being devoted to addressing the setting up of a Money Laundering Authority, as well as the role of Parliament in appointing members of that body.
He emphasised, “it is still early days yet.”
Greenidge also confirmed that Jaipaul Sharma, who was a member of the Committee up until his resignation, has not as yet been replaced in that capacity. He was unable to say when or who would replace the former Member of Parliament at the level of the Select Committee.
APNU has requested amendments to the Principal Act to the effect that the composition and appointments of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) be determined by Parliament; police and customs officers be allowed to make search and seizures of money above a certain limit for which persons could not explain; and the establishment of an Anti-Money Laundering Authority.
When the Committee met in March this year, the last time they met before last evening’s meeting, Attorney General Anil Nandlall submitted the counter amendments to the adjustments prepared by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel for APNU.
Opposition Leader, Brigadier (rtd) David Granger, is on record as saying that while they will support the Bill in the Committee, once they get their amendments, support in the Full House is conditional on the President addressing outstanding issues such as the non-assent to a number of Bills passed by the Opposition and the commencement order for the holding of Local Government Elections, among others.
The Alliance for Change (AFC) has called for the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) and more recently, said that it would also support APNU’s demands.
Guyana has been blacklisted by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) and when it submitted its report earlier this year it was documented that the nation is yet to enact the required laws.
CFATF will be holding a review next month at which point in time it will refer Guyana to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), its parent body.
At the FATF review of Guyana, the nation stands to be blacklisted internationally.

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