Egbert Doran
PHILIPSBURG–Justice Minister Egbert Doran will be traveling to Antigua today, Monday, to attend the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Plenary.
Doran said the trip is important as it will allow him to hear first-hand to which extent the legal framework of St. Maarten is in compliance with FATF binding recommendations. He hopes to be able to lobby and prevent St. Maarten from getting a public statement from the CFATF Plenary, it was stated in a press release over the weekend.
A public statement – should the CFATF issue it – means that St. Maarten will be considered a country that poses a risk to the international financial system due to its non-compliance with the 40 FATF standards. Member States are then called upon to take countermeasures or to apply enhanced due diligence measures against St. Maarten.
Doran hopes to assure CFATF that St. Maarten and the newly installed interim government are “fully committed” to live up to the FATF standards. “He plans to clarify that St. Maarten, notwithstanding its limited resources and legislative capacity has implemented a very ambitious legislation trajectory. Only one draft law, the Penal Procedure Code, still has to be approved by Parliament. This piece of legislation, however, is a joint product of Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten.”
Being that the interim government was sworn in so close to the deadline, it is crucial that Doran attends these meetings with the CFATF and discuss a realistic timeline for this legislation to be implemented, it was stated in the release. Doran and Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs have already sent a letter explaining the situation and why the law was not passed.
“The Council of Ministers also deems it imperative that the Minister of Justice travels to lobby on behalf of the country in an attempt prevent this public statement from being made.”
The Minister is hopeful that his visit yields positive results as his main objective is to preserve the integrity of St. Maarten.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/92728-doran-off-to-antigua-today-to-lobby-about-cfatf-laws
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