Opposition members who voted against Anti – Money Laundering Amendment should have their visas revoked – PYO

[www.inewsguyana.com] – The youth arm of the governing People’s Progressive Party is calling on the U.S, Canadian and UK authorities to revoke the visas of those opposition members who voted against the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill.

The Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO) in a statement late Tuesday night (October 29) stated that, “To vote against the legislation is to support the continuation of money laundering and other manifestations of financial crimes, including financial backing for terrorist activities which is also a crime of enormous proportion. Such actions must be denounced and sanctioned by the international community resident in Guyana.”

The call by the PYO comes soon after the main opposition – A Partnership for National (APNU) met with members of the diplomatic community on the same issue.

The diplomatic community is concerned about the sanctions that would be levied against Guyana should the Amendment not be passed in the National Assembly.

Some of these sanctions will include financial transactions coming under increased scrutiny thereby raising the cost of these transactions. It can also cause the blocking of these remittances completely from coming to Guyana if foreign companies and countries wish, due to the non- passing of the amendment.

According to the PYO, “This same opposition alliance of the AFC and APNU makes a din about youth employment but are willing to block foreign investments in Guyana that will produce more jobs.”

Government members of the Parliamentary Special Select Committee met on October 22 and completed the work of the Amendment Bill.

The draft bill is now ready to be tabled at the next sitting of parliament for its final reading. However, this work was completed without the attendance of the parliamentary opposition.

Guyana has until November to amend its laws to assure the international community that the country has taken mandatory steps to reduce the possibilities of dirty monies passing through its financial system, via money transfers and otherwise, to finance terrorism. Failure to pass the legislation will see Guyana being blacklisted.