The European Shuffle Dance & Hurricane Dorian

• Author: Derence A. Rolle Davis
• Pages: 172-181

Derence Rolle Davis

36. THE EUROPEAN SHUFFLE

DANCE & HURRICANE DORIAN

The Bahamas suffered a blow as the Europeans complained about the

compliance of this country with the passing of tax laws within their country. The

Bahamas was “blacklisted” again. The European nations want to demand The

Bahamas to dance to their tunes and demand that we do more in our efforts to

collect information and detail names and transactions of their citizens who wish

to escape those countries’ tax regime.

According to the Bahama Journal’s report titled “Blacklisted Again”

(posted on 14th February, 2019)45:

“In a statement, Attorney General, Carl Bethel, said ‘In the circumstances

where The Bahamas has, since the implementation of the FATF Action Plan

in October, 2018, been re-evaluated as being Compliant or Largely

Compliant with 30 of the FATF’s 40 Recommendations (up from

Compliance in only 18, in 2017) it is the view of The Bahamas that the

listing by the College of Commissioners of the European Union is not a

proportionate response.

“Mr. Bethel added that the principle of proportionality is a fundamental

tenet of EU Law and the common law and it simply imports that the

punishment should fit the offence. To list a country, such as The Bahamas,

that has made outstanding progress, in just over one year, in addressing the

AML/CFT deficiencies identified in May 2017, together with wholly non-

compliant, war-torn or even rogue States is disproportionate, and inflicts

harm and punishment on a People with no regard for their important

reforms and improvements in their AML/CFT framework,” he said.

“Such a ‘one size fits all’ approach is unworthy of established Democracies, and is

an affront to their own legal principles,” Mr. Bethel added.

“The Bahamas ought not to have been listed and regrets this action by the

EU College of Commissioners,” he said.

The Attorney General said the government will seek all ways to ameliorate and, if

possible, encourage the EU Commissioners to reverse their decision. Opposition

Deputy Leader, Chester Cooper, meantime reiterated his serious concern over the

consistent movement of the goal post.

45 Posted on 14th February, 2019.

172