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Attach law writers to Financial Services Ministry, QC urges

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Brian Moree

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A leading QC has urged the Government to attach a team of law writers to the Ministry of Financial Services, arguing that this would help the Bahamas reform “a whole basket of laws” before the deadline to comply with the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) hits.

Warning that complying with Washington’s extra-territorial demands required “a substantial exercise” in amending many of the Bahamas’ financial services laws, Brian Moree QC, senior partner at McKinney, Bancroft & Hughes, said the Government also needed to internally ‘build capacity’ to meet FATCA’s information sharing requirements.

He argued that the Government had little choice but to invest in doing this, especially if it chose the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) route to FATCA compliance, as leaving the exchange of information to individual Bahamian financial institutions would make this nation “uncompetitive” against rival financial centres.

Blasting FATCA as “another example of economic imperialism”, Mr Moree told Tribune Business In a recent interview that the US law was “somewhat offensive”, given that it effectively made the Bahamas and other nations – and their financial services industries – agents of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in enforcing US federal tax law outside that nation’s borders.

But, given the geopolitical realities, the top QC acknowledged that the Bahamas had little choice but to meet the IRS/US Treasury demands. To achieve this, and meet the December 31, 2013, deadline, Mr Moree urged that the Government second several drafters of Parliamentary legislation from the Attorney General’s Office to the Ministry of Financial Services, given the comprehensive reform effort required.

“FATCA compliance is going to require, in my view, a substantial exercise involving amendments to our existing laws. You’re going to have to look at a whole basket of legislation,” Mr Moree told Tribune Business.

Much of the reforms will involve bringing the Bahamas’ existing information sharing requirements into line with FATCA requirements, and ensuring financial institutions do not run afoul of existing confidentiality statutes.

Mr Moree said among the laws that would have to be reformed are the likes of the Banks and Trust Companies Regulation Act, the Financial and Corporate Services Providers Act and “most of the cross-border co-operation legislation introduced in 2000”.

“You’re going to have to look at all of it to make domestic law FATCA compliant,” Mr Moree told Tribune Business. “That’s going to require considerable resources made available to the Ministry of Financial Services.

“I would strongly recommend that given the tight timelines we have to work in, and the number of domestic laws to be brought into compliance with whatever we decide on FATCA, that the Government seriously consider seconding to the Ministry of Financial Services its own parliamentary draftsmen.

“Two-three lawyers would work with the Minister and director of financial services to manage all the consequences of FATCA in a way that is efficient and allow us to do it extremely quickly.

“There are priorities all the ministries need, and if the Ministry of Financial Services has to compete with them to make all laws FATCA compliant, it will be very difficult to meet the deadlines.”

Despite the “offensive” concept behind FATCA, Mr Moree told Tribune Business the Bahamas had little choice but to comply. It could not afford to be isolated and ‘got it alone’, he added, as this would make the financial services industry uncompetitive.

“I think that FATCA is really another example of economic imperialism, which as a matter of principal is somewhat offensive to many countries, but nevertheless it is a reality,” Mr Moree told Tribune Business.

“It’s a somewhat unprecedented concept in international law, particularly with regard to the collection of taxes. It is basically deputizing foreign governments to collect their taxes. But it seems the Bahamas has to accept the reality and do what is necessary to accommodate it.”

In the absence of any global alliance against FATCA, the top QC added: “We don’t have the luxury of ignoring it or non-complying with it. At the end of the day, we have to address it.”

Mr Moree also warned that the Government would need to invest funds and resources in developing systems/infrastructure to collect the FATCA information sought by the US from Bahamas-based financial institutions, then pass it on to the IRS.

While these demands were coming at a time when the Bahamas could least afford it, the top QC said not making the required investment would be more costly to this country – especially where the competitiveness of its financial services industry was concerned.

“Clearly, we do not have that capacity today,” Mr Moree said of what the Government would need to manage the FATCA process, “but the Government has to develop that capacity.”

“To not do the IGA and leave it at the level of individual financial institutions would only make us uncompetitive to competitors in the international financial community. We are going to have to develop that capacity in the Government to collect the information under the IGA and pass it on.

“Some capacity building is required to fulfill the Government’s responsibilities under the IGA. We’re going to have to accept we have to do it, because not to do so would be more costly in the long-run for the Bahamas.”

Comments

CookieCutter 11 years, 9 months ago

I highly doubt that our country can make its statutes FATCA compliant by the deadline, especially when legislative changes are notoriously sluggish... But in any event this is an example of 'nation bullying' a sovereign state like ours to change its laws...even having the nerve to give it a deadline.

....Where are the freedom fighting leaders of the past who stood up to the elite and who bravely took the country to an independent nation state...who's the MP that will stand up and tell America "Take ya' time soulja!", (or whatever the island youths are saying these days) as being nothing but a doormat to dust your feet on is certainly not in the genetic make up of the average Bahamian. Things have changed..Mother Bahamas has traded its lions for lambs and our national leaders are nothing but coin traders with short ambitions.

Lets set a new path by gaining world wide influence instead of preserving the "Yessa Masta" slavery mindset in the international community......It is getting embarrassing..... Lets gain influence in the IMF or World Bank.... Lets become a First World Nation like our Caribbean counterpart in the South.......Our Politicos talks about engaging in CARICOM and we still takin' orders....The Country Gone Man!

concernedcitizen 11 years, 9 months ago

IF WE WANT TO EAT WE NEED THEIR TOURIST , AND UNLESS YOUR A FARMER DON,T TELL ME BOUT FARMING HERE ,ITS BROKEN PEOPLE SINCE THE LOYALIST ..AND FISHIN , I,M A FISHERMAN ,,THE FISH AIN,T THERE TO SUPPORT ALL OF US

GilbertM 11 years, 9 months ago

I am amused. I was thinking when I saw the headlines that the call for writers, was a call for research writing, to discover, layout and advance a vision for the Financial Services.....however, it is merely to figure how to comply aggressively, with what someone else wants.

When will face the fact that if you are running about to comply with some dictat from abroad, you do not have an industry?

When you are in this mode, you are not refining your products. You are not developing your services model. You are not improving competitive balance. Instead, you cannot do any f these things, because tomorrow, after running on your tongue to satisfy the latest foreign demand, you will find yourself met with new demands which again, you run your guts out to comply with.

The Bahamas is a small nation. Its not excuse for having small imagination.

Sting 11 years, 9 months ago

Moree got it wrong. Don't go the IGA route and let banks decide what they want to do. Banks that decide they don"t want to keep accounts in U.S. $ won't have to do anything and can keep protecting client's privacy. It's business as usual. Others can chose to make the deal with the devil on their own.Government don't need to get involved at all and should deal with other problems.

PKMShack 11 years, 9 months ago

The only effect the law will require is that US persons hiding money in the Bahamas for tax purposes now have to pay taxes on that money also. Obama stated that since 2006. No longer will americans be able to avoid the IRS. Off shore banking is a thing of the past for Americans. You make the money in the US pay your taxes, simple. If the Bahamas want to continue to receive money from big brother all we have to do is report their citizens. To easy.

Philosopher_King 11 years, 9 months ago

If the Bahamas or any other nation were to ask the US for card blanch banking information on its' citizens banking activities in the US they would be laughed right out of the offices of the US authorities. They'd say the cost would be too prohibitive to their banks to report to IRS along with other jurisdictions tax authorities and a violation of an individual’s 4th amendment rights of illegal search. We need to grow a pair and stand our ground with our collective neighbours. Yes provide information when presented with evidence of criminal acts, but every nations tax collection is their problem alone to solve. Open this flood gate and the Europeans and BRIC nations will follow bringing to an end an already ailing banking industry. Then what all those well paid Bahamians will go work for the government or Baha Mar I guess?

PKMShack 11 years, 9 months ago

@King I agree to a point. When we stop asking the US for aid, we can do as we please. Anit nothing free and the White House wants their money and their US Companies back on their soil. That will help their country grow cash and jobs. Until we stop sticking our hand out as a nation we can't call shots. Obama looking out for his country first like any leader should. Wait till the Chinese come calling cause they have spent a long dollar also, ANIT NOTHING FREE

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