The US, Britain, Canada and the European Union today welcomed efforts by the political parties to reach a deal on the anti-money laundering bill and said they were ready to support the effective implementation of the legislation.The government and APNU are to meet this weekend in a bid to have the bill passed before a crucial meeting of the Financial Action Task Force. More stringent steps could be taken against Guyana by the FATF if the bill is not passed shortly.
The statement by the Western countries follows:
“We welcome the willingness demonstrated by all parties to move Guyana toward compliance with international Anti Money Laundering/Combatting the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) standards, including updated legislation and enhanced investigative capacity. To that end, we have met with all stakeholders, including those from government, opposition, civil society, and the private sector on many occasions since 2012. Our governments are, and will continue to be, actively engaged to support effective implementation of AML/CFT legislation and prosecution of money launderers and financers of terrorism. We encourage all stakeholders to work together to finalize AML/CFT legislation and ensure its effective implementation in order to prevent and combat money laundering and terrorist financing, as well as to avoid the serious consequences that would arise from black-listing by the FATF.”
