Financial Crime World

Guyana Ranked 93rd in Global Terrorism Risk Assessment

According to the latest report, Guyana has been ranked 93rd out of 163 countries in terms of its risk assessment for terrorism financing. The country scored zero points, placing it in the category of “little to no risk” of terrorism.

Measures Taken by Guyana

The report highlights several measures taken by Guyana to address identified issues related to terrorism financing:

  • Development of a national counter-terrorism strategy, which includes strategies for counter-terrorism financing and proliferation financing
  • Conducted a risk assessment for non-profit organizations (NPOs) in 2022, which found that the risks were low
  • Improved cooperation among agencies, including:
    • Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU)
    • Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU)
    • Guyana Police Force (GPF)
    • Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)

International Exchange of Information

Between 2018 and April 2023, Guyana did not send any international requests for information relating to terrorism or terrorism financing. However, it received five requests from other Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) during this period:

  • Responded promptly to all five requests, taking into account the urgent nature of the requests
  • No matches found of persons/entities listed by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) conducting transactions locally

SOI Investigations

SOCU is responsible for investigating money laundering, terrorism financing, and other financial crimes:

  • Investigated all TF matters referred to it by the FIU between 2018 and April 2023
  • However, the investigations did not reveal any actual instances of TF and were discontinued accordingly

Conclusion

The report concludes that Guyana has taken several measures to improve its ability to combat terrorism financing and proliferation financing:

  • Implemented a risk-based action plan
  • Received input from the National Policy and Strategy

Overall, Guyana’s efforts have helped to place it in the “little to no risk” category for terrorism financing.