No comprehensive APNU policy on AMLCFT bill yet - HPS

Government still awaits a comprehensive position statement from A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) on the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLCFT) bill, Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon said at his post-Cabinet media briefing today.

He pointed out that whilst the record will show that Government has made every conceivable effort to explore with the Opposition to have the bill enacted, the country is still returning to the National Assembly, where the Opposition would have the country believe that there is something ‘so profoundly defective’ about bill that the blacklisting of Guyana is a justifiable option.

The HPS noted however, that the Opposition, not for want of time or opportunity, has until now, not provided Guyana with what they think is the solution to the bill.

The HPS said whilst the AFC can be credited for offering ‘horse trade’ with regards to the merits of bill, up until now there has been no proposed amendments to the bills from the APNU. The AFC brought in the Procurement Act and the Public Procurement Commission into its consideration of the enactment of the bill. “At least we give them (AFC) credit, they are willing to say how and under what conditions, they would support a bill that would have prevented blacklist of Guyana that is much more than APNU has said and done.

To this day, no one has seen, and nowhere has there been present by anything or anyone in APNU’s colours, a comprehensive APNU position against the provision in the amended anti-money laundering bill and importantly what their alternative proposals are,” the HPS noted.

The HPS said that the Government is committed to exploring with the Opposition to have the bill enacted.