The Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) today began an assessment of the country’s anti-money laundering framework.
The Fourth Round Mutual Evaluation of Guyana’s Anti-money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism/Countering Proliferation Financing (AML/CFT/CPF) is part of the country’s international compliance obligations under the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) Standards and Methodology.
A release from the Attorney General’s Chambers today said that the CFATF Assessment Team, which arrived in Guyana over the weekend, is led by Avelon Perrry, Financial Advisor of the CFATF. She is assisted by Sunita Ramsumir, Co-Mission leader Legal Advisor of the CFATF. The other members of the Assessment Team are regional professionals in the AML/CFT/CPF Framework including Shana Donavan, Financial Assessor, Cayman Islands; Teron Greenidge, Law Enforcement Assessor, Grenada; Nikala Bazil, Financial Assessor, Dominica and Cassandra Seetahal, Legal Assessor.
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The release said that the On-Site Assessment will be conducted from today to September 15, 2023, during which the Assessment Team will interview various Ministers, officials and Heads of Agencies including from the Attorney General’s Chambers and the Ministry of Legal Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Judiciary, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Office of the Commissioner of Police.
Other agencies which will be spoken to during the process include the Guyana Revenue Authority, the Deeds and Commercial Registry Authorities, the Central Bank of Guyana, the Guyana Securities Council, the Guyana Police Force, the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit, the Guyana Geology and Gold Mines Commission, the Guyana Gold Board, Real Estate Associations, local banks, insurance companies, accountants, cambios, among others.
The Assessment Team held an introductory meeting today at the Marriott Hotel Guyana. In attendance were the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall SC; Gail Teixeira, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance of
Guyana; Dr. Ashni Singh, Senior Minister with Responsibility for Finance; Robeson Benn, Minister Home Affairs and Vickram Bharrat, Minister of Natural Resources, along with various Heads of Agencies.
At the end of this on-site evaluation, a Mutual Evaluation Report will be prepared on Guyana and presented at the CFATF Plenary in March, 2024, the release said.