A bill meant to address key issues in Trinidad and Tobago's anti money laundering and combating of terrorism financing regime is set to be debated in the Senate today at Tower D, International Waterfront Centre, Port of Spain. The sitting begins at 1.30 p.m. 

The Parliament's website says the Senate is scheduled to sit today to debate the The Miscellaneous Provisions (Financial Intelligence Unit of Trinidad and Tobago and Anti-Terrorism) Bill, 2012. 

The bill was passed unanimously in the House of Representatives on Friday. 

The bill must be passed by the Senate, since there are aspects of the Financial Intelligence Unit law that must be in effect by August 27 in advance of an upcoming evaluation by representatives of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). 

Today's sitting will be the second such sitting of the Senate for the Third Session of the 10th Parliament which commenced during an official ceremony on July 11. 

The FATF is the global standard setting body for anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism under a United Nations charter.

Attorney General Anand Ramlogan told TV6 News last night that the August 27 deadline had nothing to do with any concern of this country being blacklisted by the FATF. 

Ramlogan said there is "absolutely no fear of blacklisting." 

In a statement issued on June 22, the FATF said that in February of 2010 Trinidad and Tobago made a high-level political commitment to work with the task force and Caribbean Financial Action Task Force to address its strategic anti-money laundering and combating financing of terrorism deficiencies.  

At the time, the previous PNM administration was in office. 

The FATF noted that since February of this year, Trinidad and Tobago demonstrated progress in improving its anti money laundering and combating of terrorism financing regime.