Senator Ian Roach, speaking during debate on FATCA-related tax information exchange agreements approved in the Senate on Tuesday night, said the legislation provides an opportunity to focus on the local operations of banks, particularly what they charge for their services. He said any ordinary citizen would consider Trinidad’s financial institutions “to be institutional bandits, financial extortionists and conscienceless, as they unilaterally impose any and all types of bank charges in addition to the already outrageous level of interest rates”.