[www.inewsguyana.com] – Residents of Region Two on Friday are demanding that the country go back to the polls if the embattled Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) (Amendment) Bill is not passed in the National Assembly as soon as possible.
Speaking at a meeting at the Anna Regina Town Council, one resident said it’s time for a countrywide picketing exercise to register their disapproval of the way the matter is being politicised by the A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) and Alliance For Change (AFC).
According to the Government Information Agency, another resident testified to the difficulties he personally experienced in receiving remittances, and also expressed concern that the non-passage of the Bill might affect parents’ ability to send financial support in a timely and cost- effective manner to their children who are studying abroad.
A pastor, who spoke on behalf of the religious community, said that Guyana being named a non-compliant jurisdiction could have serious repercussions on the various churches that are recipients of financial aid from other international organisations.
Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh urged residents and regional officials of the various political Parties to speak to their leaders since their views can, and should be able to influence or inform the decisions taken by their leaders.
Minister Singh said that there are certain issues that must be placed above the competition of partisan politics and the AML/CFT is one such issue. He spoke of the Belizean Opposition, which recently passed six pieces of legislation in one day to make their country compliant with Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and Financial Action Task Force (FATF) requirements.
Guyana and Belize are the two countries that were blacklisted by the CFATF in November last year.
“We have an Opposition that is saying that we will not vote for this legislation unless you give us what we want in exchange…it is almost like saying I’m holding a gun to your head and if you do not give me what I am insisting that you give me, I will pull the trigger. That is essentially what is going on here,” Minister Singh stated.
How come they didn’t demanding this bill pass since 2009,the same way they jump up and holering to pass the bill now they should have been doing that since 2009.The people at these meetings are being paid for their performance, the PSC and all of them wha did washing de money was not saying anything all the time when the ppp/govt had the majority and could have pass de bill easy,but now the people starting to clamp dowm ,they now want to rush it through with loop holes,if de bill was a good one when it was drafted,why wasn’t it presented and pass????????? Now de noose tightenin they want to rush it and then say OH de oposition agree to it,.If de so interested in de bill passing then put in de amendments and pass it.And like de one who got to draft it aint know wha he doing or he get orders to stall and say he can’t do it in time{ like he is a dunce}.So all dem who standing and hollering fuh pass de bill they should tell de govt to amend de bill and pass it.What is so wrong with de amendment is because it cuttting de powers of one man and having stronger oversight?????? All ya better get up and smell de daisy.