This was done as a part of the government's efforts to get off an international blacklist of countries deemed non-cooperative in the fight against money laundering. "What is important is that it is necessary to go through those measures to ensure that Dominica is taken off the blacklist, so that businessmen can come into Dominica to involve in what the FATF (Financial Action Task Force) perceives to be clean business," Prime Minister and Acting Finance Minister Pierre Charles said in presenting the bill. "Dominica is on the final leg of its journey to being removed from the Financial Action Task Force list of non-cooperative countries and territories," he said.

He said the Exchange of Information Bill was the most important piece of legislation that is required to be enacted in Dominica, so the country can meet and satisfy the internationally accepted standards set by the FATF for the anti-money laundering regulatory framework.

Source: The Daily Herald (St. Vincent and the Grenadines)