The stalled Anti-money Laundering Bill – Alliance For Change Press Release

The Alliance For Change (AFC) wishes to remind the public that the stalled Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill is yet to be passed by the National Assembly, and the issues surrounding its passage still remain unresolved.

The Alliance For Change (AFC) wishes to remind the public that the stalled Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill is yet to be passed by the National Assembly, and the issues surrounding its passage still remain unresolved.

It is now six weeks since the AFC publicly presented a road-map for the unanimous approval of the Bill by the National Assembly. To date there has been no response from the Government, a clear indication that they are not interested in our proposals.

At some point this matter will resurface and the public and business community will be threatened with more blacklisting and sanctions as yet another deadline is set for the passage of this legislation.

The AFC’s roadmap set out a simple process by which the AML/CFT (Amendment) Bill can be approved by the National Assembly within a short time-frame. The steps are as follows:

1. PPP-C submits its nominees for the Public Procurement Commission to the Public Accounts Committee.
2. Minister of Local Government issues a commencement Order for the Local Government Commission Act of 2013
3. Public Accounts Committee selects nominees for Public Procurement Commission
4. Special Select Committee reviews and agrees amendments to the AML/CFT (Amendment) Bill
5. Section 54 of Public Procurement Act is amended by the National Assembly as per AFC proposals to allow for cabinet objection to the Public Procurement Commission
6. National Assembly approves by 2/3 majority the Public Procurement Commission nominees as recommended by the Public Accounts Committee.
7. Local Government (Amendment) Bill (with contentious clause removed) is re-tabled in the National Assembly and approved.
8. Tripartite Committee is established by Committee of Selection to reexamine previously rejected Bills for any constitutional defects with a commitment from all sides to implement the recommendations of the committee as well as to have all works completed within 30 days.
9. National Assembly approves AML/CFT (amendment) Bill as recommended by the select committee.

In January this year the PPP-C’s General Secretary told the media that his party had possible names for nomination to the Public Procurement Commission. The AFC now calls on the PPP-C to submit its nominees to the Public Accounts Committee as a signal that it is now serious about getting the AML/CFT (Amendment) Bill approved.

Failure to take this significant first step must be regarded by all Guyanese as a deliberate attempt by the Government to create a national crisis and to keep the public in a state of apprehension.