Prime Min­is­ter Dr Kei­th Row­ley at­tend­ed the hear­ing of the US House of Rep­re­sen­ta­tives Com­mit­tee on Fi­nan­cial Ser­vices on the im­pacts of de-risk­ing on bank­ing in the Caribbean to­day. The hear­ing was held by Chair­woman of the Com­mit­tee, Con­gress­woman Max­ine Wa­ters.

The fol­low­ing is a state­ment by the Of­fice of the Prime Min­is­ter:

Prime Dr the Hon Kei­th Row­ley Min­is­ter at­tend­ed the hear­ing of the US House of Rep­re­sen­ta­tives Com­mit­tee on Fi­nan­cial Ser­vices on the im­pacts of de-risk­ing on bank­ing in the Caribbean to­day (Wednes­day 14th Sep­tem­ber, 2022). The hear­ing was held by Chair­woman of the Com­mit­tee, Con­gress­woman Max­ine Wa­ters (D-CA). 

Prime Min­is­ter of Bar­ba­dos, the Hon Mia Mot­t­ley gave tes­ti­mo­ny at the hear­ing re­gard­ing the dele­te­ri­ous ef­fects the loss of cor­re­spon­dent bank­ing is hav­ing on the re­gion. Re­gion­al lead­ers have long been urg­ing ac­tion on this is­sue which re­mains at the fore­front of the CARI­COM agen­da. 

Prime Min­is­ter Row­ley met with Con­gress­women Wa­ters on this mat­ter on be­half of CARI­COM in Sep­tem­ber 2019. Lat­er that year, the Hon Stu­art Young in his ca­pac­i­ty as Min­is­ter in the Of­fice of the Prime Min­is­ter met with the US House Com­mit­tee on Fi­nan­cial Ser­vices in a round ta­ble dis­cus­sion on de-risk­ing and cor­re­spon­dent bank­ing. 

In April, Dr Row­ley par­tic­i­pat­ed in the Round­table Dis­cus­sion on De-Risk­ing and Cor­re­spon­dent Bank­ing in Bar­ba­dos which was co-chaired by Prime Min­is­ter Mot­t­ley and Con­gress­woman Wa­ters in Bar­ba­dos. 

Prime Min­is­ter Row­ley and Prime Min­is­ter Mot­t­ley are both sched­uled to at­tend a meet­ing with US Vice Pres­i­dent Ka­mala Har­ris to­mor­row. 

Prime Min­is­ter Row­ley is the co-chair of the US/Caribbean En­er­gy Se­cu­ri­ty Ac­tion Com­mit­tee while Prime Min­is­ter Mot­t­ley is the co-chair of the US/Caribbean Fi­nance Com­mit­tee.  

Pres­i­dent of the Co-op­er­a­tive Re­pub­lic of Guyana, His Ex­cel­len­cy Dr Mo­hamed Ir­faan Ali will al­so at­tend as co-chair of the Com­mit­tee on Food Se­cu­ri­ty.