The speaker told top officials from the ministry of foreign affairs and the ministry of law and justice that parliament can´t further shelve the bills registered at the parliament secretariat months ago, given their sensitivity.[break]
“Either you have to take initiatives to advance the bills or return them. Parliament can´t further keep the bills on hold,” an official quoted the speaker as telling the officials from the two ministries.
Bhesh Raj Sharma, secretary at the ministry of law and justice, and Durga Prasad Bhattarai, acting secretary at the ministry of foreign affairs, among other officials, were present at the meeting with the speaker in Singha Durbar on Tuesday.
Officials at the parliament secretariat said the speaker is unhappy with the government for not taking any initiative to advance the two bills even though the Financial Action Taskforce (FATF), a global body that oversees money laundering issues, has been pressing Nepali authorities to endorse the bills without delay.
Although parliament amended the money laundering act in the first week of June as per FATF requirements, the global body is pressing the government to endorse the bill on extradition and mutual legal assistance as well.
Stating that the legal arrangements in Nepal are still incomplete to check terrorist financing and organized crimes, the International Cooperation Review Group of FATF has said it will list Nepal in the high-risk category in February if Nepal fails to endorse the remaining two bills in January.
According to officials at the Nepal Rastra Bank, the international group will put Nepal in the negative list if the bills are not endorsed by parliament by June.
After placing any country in the high-risk category, FATF tells member states to remain alert while doing any business in that country and instructs them to stop doing business with any country in the negative list.
FATF suggests its member countries to formulate laws on mutual legal assistance with a view to checking terrorist financing and controlling international organized crime. After adopting mutual legal assistance, member countries can share information and evidence about any crime taking place in any of the member states.
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