Transparency Institute (Guyana) Inc. yesterday indicated via media release that it notes with deep concern the current political impasse surrounding the passage of the amendment to AML/CFT Act of 2009.“It will be recalled that the Government had tabled in the National Assembly certain amendments to the Act on 7 May 2013 to address a number of shortcomings highlighted in the third evaluation report the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) dated 25 July 2011. The Assembly referred the proposed amendments to a Select Committee for detailed scrutiny and reporting to the Assembly.”The body pointed out that the key concerns of CFATF were that: (a) Guyana’s legislation needed to be overhauled to bring it in line with the standard recommendations used to evaluate countries’ efforts to combat money laundering and terrorist financing; and (b) Guyana had taken minimal steps to implement the requirements of the existing legislation.In particular,Cheap Jerseys Free, concern was expressed that the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), which is the backbone of the legislation, had only a Director whereas the Unit is to be staffed also by a lawyer,Cheap Jerseys Authentic, and accountant and such other officials trained in investigative work. The Government subsequently received a damning letter dated 10 April 2013 from the CFATF in which several warnings and references to earlier notifications of Guyana’s precarious position since November 2012 were cited.”TIGI appealed to all the political parties to set aside their individual differences and in the interest of compromise and goodwill to find common ground so that the amendments can be approved before the deadline expires.The body said that it believes that it is in the public interest that the views of all political parties should be seriously considered and,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, to the extent that they are justified,NFL Jerseys Online, those views should be incorporated in a revised draft for consideration of the National Assembly.“TIGI takes the opportunity to remind legislators of the urgent need to: (a) establish the Public Procurement Commission to oversee public procurement which accounts for approximately 70 per cent of public expenditure; and (b) appoint the members of the Integrity Commission to scrutinize the annual declarations of assets and liabilities of,Chris Chelios Jersey, among others, Ministers of the Government,Brian Urlacher Bears Jersey, other Members of Parliament and other senior public officials.Corruption is the abuse of public office for private gain, and therefore it is linked to money laundering. It would therefore not be unreasonable for legislators to consider all three important measures at the same time.TIGI is confident that: (a) if a sincere and dedicated effort is made to have these measures put in place; and (b) the concerned entities are staffed with independent and technically and professionally competent officials and are provided with adequate resources to discharge their mandates effectively, drug trafficking, money laundering and perceptions of levels of corruption will be significantly reduced.”