The Alliance For Change notes that the government has signaled its intention to have the Anti-Money Laundering/ Countering the Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill brought back to the House.

The Alliance For Change has already stated its position, we may be willing to consider the suspension of the Standing Orders of the National Assembly in order to facilitate the Bill being brought back to the House but, must be assured that there will not be another stalemate.

The Party is cognizant also of the APNU’s intention to table a number of amendments that will strengthen the Bill. In a spirit of compromise, the AFC is prepared to work with the other parliamentary parties, APNU and the PPPC, to ensure that Guyana’s financial landscape benefits from both strengthened anti money laundering laws and oversight of public procurement. This is possible if the political will is there.

In a roadmap that was shared with President Donald Ramotar and the leader of the APNU coalition Brigadier (Ret’d) David Granger, the AFC has outlined how passing the AML/CFT amendment Bill and operationalizing the Public Procurement Commission under the existing Procurement Act can both be accomplished, within three Sittings of the National Assembly and before any deadline. What is needed now is the political will to move both processes forward simultaneously.

But, let there be no misinterpretation, the Alliance For Change will not stand by and allow the itself to be manipulated into supporting the AML/CFT Amendment Bill while the Government filibusters over the Procurement Commission. Our Roadmap is clear –

1. We support the setting aside of the Standing Orders so that the AML/CFT Amendment Bill comes back to the House and at the same Sitting, the Bill is sent to Special Select Committee for refinement and the Government names its nominees to the Procurement Commission
2. The Public Accounts Committee recommends the persons to sit on the Commission to the Assembly
3. At the next Sitting, the House, by two-thirds majority, agrees the five persons to comprise the Public Procurement Commission
4. The persons so named are sworn in by the President
5. At the third Sitting, the House approves a Supplementary Financial Paper of a reasonable amount to support the work of the Commission until the next budget is passed and at the same Sitting the House passes the AML/CFT Amendment Bill.

The ball is in the Government’s court

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