| – ‘Failure lies squarely on the shoulders of the PPP/C Administration’Critical anti-money laundering legislation is unlikely to be passed before a deadline later this month, despite threats of possible international sanctions.As tensions remain high in the National Assembly over the controversial Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML & CFT) Amendment Bill 2013, the Opposition’s largest faction, A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) said a Special Select Committee of Parliament, that is considering the amendments, is unlikely to finish the required work before the May 27 deadline.APNU, during a charged press conference yesterday to defend itself from accusations that it was stalling the process, instead accused the government of not being serious about tackling money laundering from especially drug-related activities, despite knowing since 2011 that the amendments had to be passed to meet impending international requirements.Failure to have the Bill passed could see Guyana blacklisted for not doing enough to combat money laundering and stopping the financing of terrorism.Don’t blame us! From left, APNU official Lance Carberry, and Parliamentarians Joseph Harmon and Winston Felix.The government and the opposition are locked in battle to see who would budge first.The government is due to defend its efforts to stem financial crimes when the Plenary Meeting of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) meets in Managua, Nicaragua, from May 27 to May 30.APNU said it is considering other options, which include presentations at the Plenary Meeting on what Guyana is doing.The government attempted to have the amendments passed in the National Assembly two Tuesdays ago, but the opposition sent the matter to the Special Committee to examine the government’s proposal, saying the legislation is too important to be rushed.It is now worrying government, which says that the Opposition is irresponsible and holding the country hostage by demanding the administration meet a number of conditions before passing the amendments.BLAME GOVERNMENTIn a clear indication that APNU is not looking to hurry through the considerations of the amendments at the committee stage, Joseph Harmon, Member of Parliament of the 26-seat alliance, said that Guyana can expect no rush and that the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic is to be blamed.“APNU wishes to make it very clear that we will not shirk our responsibility, for careful scrutiny of the amendments to the legislation before the Special Select Committee, on the altar of expediency. We will continue to work diligently, but are of the view that this is an emergency of the Government’s own making. Therefore, any failure to meet a deadline of 27th May, 2013, lies squarely on the shoulders of the PPP/C Administration.”Harmon pointed out that President Donald Ramotar received a letter from CFATF dated April 10, 2013, warning of the need to speed up work to ensure Guyana’s readiness. APNU said that the body urged the President to ensure that the opposition and other stakeholders are involved in the legislation and a report for the Nicaragua meeting be circulated by May 6.According to APNU’s Lance Carberry, there is no evidence that government even has such a report as yet.APNU said it is convinced that government is attempting to create a situation where it could tell the Nicaragua meeting that the Opposition is to be blamed for Guyana not being ready.Harmon opined that government is not serious about any new laws to counter money laundering or it would have presented the legislation sooner.APNU refused to be drawn into admitting that it is laying any conditions for allowing the Bill through. Rather, Harmon pointed out that the lack of money to properly run the Office of Leader of the Opposition is not”unnoticed”.SANCTIONS UNCLEARAsked about the possible sanctions Guyana could face for not being ready, Harmon said that APNU is not clear what these were as the government has not properly explained.“We are taking steps as a responsible opposition to scrutinize the legislation that is before us. We are working diligently in the Select Committee to ensure that the piece of legislation is properly done. If it is not done for May 22nd, that is not our primary concern. Our primary concern is to ensure we have a piece of legislation that is in the interest of the nation.”He pointed out that considerations of the amendments are not easy, as it included 15 sections.Meanwhile, APNU Parliamentarian Winston Felix, a former Commissioner of Police, noted that the amendments would have given government “the teeth to tackle money laundering” as it would raise red flags. It is a fact that no significant dent has been made to the drug trafficking situation or any significant seizures.The AML&CFT law had also mandated the establishment of a Financial Investigative Unit (FIU). There is no indication whether this unit is functioning,Jeff Green Jersey, all pointing back to the question of how serious Government is with the passage of the Bill.CFATF is an organisation of 29 states of the Caribbean Basin, which have agreed to implement common counter measures to address the problem of criminal money laundering. It was established as the result of meetings convened in Aruba in May 1990 and Jamaica in November 1992.Government, for the first time in 20 years, lost the majority in the National Assembly, with the Opposition wasting no time in slicing $20B from the National Budget last year. This year, just over $31B was reduced from budget, prompting government to refuse to pass two key laws tabled by the Opposition and passed in the National Assembly.This particular Bill has been a troublesome one for the government as it involves a deadline and more so, conditions set by the other opposition party, the Alliance For Change (AFC).The AFC has made it clear that it will not lend support to the financial Bill unless government assents to two bills piloted by the opposition-controlled House.The party also wants the government to set a deadline for the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) which will help halt corruption in the awarding of contracts funded by the public purse. |
