|
|
TANZANIA: Agreement signed with US to combat financial
crimes
[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of
the United Nations]
DAR ES SALAAM, 27 Aug 2002 (IRIN) - The US
government and Tanzania have signed an agreement on technical
assistance for capacity building in the battle against financial and
economic crimes, notably money laundering and terrorist finance.
At a ceremony in Dar es Salaam, US Ambassador Robert Royall
and Tanzanian Finance Minister Basil Mramba agreed on a work-plan
which is aimed at enabling Tanzania to build capacity in prevention,
investigation and prosecuting those who participate in organised
crime and criminal groups laundering the proceeds of crime and
corruption.
"Some people might say that money laundering is
not a big problem in Tanzania, since we don't have any large drug
trafficking or organised criminal groups," Royall commented at the
signing ceremony. "However, money laundering facilitates all crimes,
by providing the criminals with the ability to enjoy the proceeds of
their crimes and also giving them the resources to expand their
criminal activities."
Royall also reminded those at the
ceremony of the impact of the 1998 terrorist attacks on the US
embassy in Dar es Salaam, highlighting the two governments' "common
interest in eliminating sources of terrorist financing".
He
added that while this US Treasury programme had "taken on renewed
importance in the light of the terrorist attacks last September" the
initiative, which he hoped would develop "the finest anti-money
laundering regime in Africa" was not merely an anti-terrorism
initiative.
"Money launderers, not only terrorists but also
organized criminal groups, use weaknesses in financial systems," he
noted. "Recognising this, the US has embarked on a worldwide effort
to assist countries to develop effective anti-money laundering
regimes."
Officials at the US embassy told IRIN that after
the September 11th attacks on the US, Secretary of Treasury Paul
O'Neill had offered technical assistance in anti-money laundering to
every country in the world, and that while it was "not specifically
related to any particular threat", Tanzania had been one of the
first to accept the offer.
The "multi-year" programme will
help law enforcement officials and regulatory bodies within Tanzania
to combat these crimes by developing improved legislation,
regulation and procedures, and by improving investigative
techniques, including financial information gathering and analysis.
At the ceremony, Finance Minister Mramba underlined
Tanzania's active role in combating financial crime through its
hosting of the Secretariat of the Eastern and Southern Africa
Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG) and its criminalisation of
money laundering under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
However,
he said this was just the beginning and the government planned to
put in place "a comprehensive law on money laundering to bridge the
existing gaps".
"This would involve, among other measures,
the revision and amendment of the existing laws on money laundering,
and the establishment of a Financial Intelligence Unit," he
stated.
A recent survey on Tanzania, conducted by the
international accountancy firm Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC),
suggested that for the moment, money laundering was not an immediate
or obvious problem in the country.
However, analysts warned
this did not mean the crime didn't exist, simply that it was not
highlighted by those questioned.
"Money laundering, if there
isn't the appropriate legislation in place, may become a major
problem," an accountant at PWC told IRIN.
[ENDS]
|
|
