By Jomo Paul
[www.inewsguyana.com] – The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Amendment Bill should be tabled and passed in the National Assembly as a matter of priority to secure Guyana’s financial options.
This is according to US Charge d’ Affaires Bryan Hunt who made the comment while speaking on a local radio programme on Thursday, May 28 and was responding to questions from the host of the programme about priorities for the 11th session of parliament.
Guyana’s National Assembly failed to pass the critical piece of legislation in the tenth parliament owing to unnecessary back and forth between the then Government and the parliamentary opposition over critical aspects of the legislation.
As a result, Guyana was summarily blacklisted by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) – the regional body that deals with financial crimes.
This took place despite pressures from several civil society groups and members for the diplomatic corps for the political factions to find common ground and allow the Bill to be passed in the National Assembly.
Hunt, during the interview, explained that the AML/CFT Bill should be one of the first items on the parliamentary agenda.
“I would hope it is one of the first items on the agenda on the new Parliament,” he said while noting that there are “competing” pieces of legislation that need to be addressed but the AML/CFT Bill has a finite amount of time within which it can be passed.
Guyana has until the third quarter of 2015 to ensure that the legislation is passed and enacted or it could be the subject of further financial blacklisting by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
“It is going to be very important that Guyana is able to present new legislation as it had promised…The indications I am getting it that it remains towards the top of the agenda and I hope that it will be tabled very soon in parliament,” said the US Envoy.
Your fake “unity” government seized a country with significant reserves, a decent treasury and 60% Debt: GDP ratio unlike what the PPP took over in 1992, an empty treasury and mountain of debt. I give your illegal government one year to “MAX” out the treasury. It is not in your culture to manage anything.
I agree with you…so far it seems the U.S. is calling the shots. I would love for the Guyana President tell them not to get into Guyana business
I do hope this gets done as soon as possible in the best interest of the country. It is time the opposition behave like matured adults.
Walking out will be a blessing, PPP bill or BAIL?by the looks of it they might be holding the next parliament with the criminals in ORANGE jump suits, we are not going back George porgy pudding and pie, its onward upward. So you and the crabs can stay behind,,GOD BLESS GUYANA
Good idea of forcing the PPP government out of power so they can rule with the BIG STICK. Next week they will announce the big OIL DEAL and the week after Guyanese living abroad will have to declare every sheep and cow they own back home so they can be taxed on it
Its expected stupid ppl like you cant say anything better, its your ppl who will have to give an account of our money, yes Dance to the tune,,,if you brain dead fools were not STUPID you would be in POWER today,,,is STUPID YA STUPID,what you fools cant live with is LAW and Order. Start playing RUM til i die and dance you drunk
Well they put them there, what do you expect? It’s pay back time.
If ever the opposition take up their seats in the National Assembly I call on them to walk out of Parliament when this Bill is debated. The Bill that satisfied CFATF requirements was put forward by the PPP. The defacto Government will use their “majority” and bring the PPP’s Bill back to Parliament with some artificial amendments, kind of like the name changes they made to the various Ministries.
Look how steady you reading now about what the US wants and what the US says. LMFAO. YOU puppets dancing to the tune already. Stupid people really do stupid things.
This is a good thing.
YES!