MEDIA REACTION: "NEED FOR CONCERTED EFFORTS IN FIGHTING

UNCLAS DAR ES SALAAM 000792 FOR INR/MR, AF/PD STRASSBERGER, AF/E JLIDDLE, JTREADWELL, IIP/AF E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KMDR KPAO TZ SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: "NEED FOR CONCERTED EFFORTS IN FIGHTING MONEY LAUNDERING" ¶1. The November 19, 2009 edition of the English-language, privately-owned daily "This Day," (circulation 10,000) carried an editorial titled "Need for concerted efforts in fighting money laundering." The editorial refers to the November 16-20 "Money Laundering Investigative Techniques" training course organized in Dar es Salaam by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Internal Revenue Service. The training course has received positive coverage in the local media and, according to subj editorial, "could not have come at any better time." Full text follows: ¶2. "The coming of new information technologies in the business sector brought with it loopholes that many unscrupulous businesspeople take advantage of to become overnight millionaires. Among such practices is money laundering that of late has been on the increase as many people make use of ICTs and other means to illegally transfer huge sums of money undetected. ¶3. "Money laundering has grave negative consequences on socio-economic development of nations. The practice facilitates criminal activities such as terrorism, narcotics trafficking, embezzlement, political corruption, weapons of mass destruction proliferation and organized crimes. ¶4. "Tanzania like any other country in the world is facing the threat of these illicit dealings that have not only negative impact on the economy but bring with them moral and social decay. ¶5. "Though this country has already enacted laws against money laundering, more still needs to be done to nip the problem in the bud. Tanzania passed the Anti-Money Laundering Act in 2006 after enacting the Prevention of Terrorism Act in 2002. ¶6. "These were important steps in creating an anti-money laundering regime that meets global standards in working to identify, disrupt and prosecute people intent on exploiting the vulnerabilities of the country's financial sector. ¶7. "But, being equipped with such a regime alone is not enough and it is against this that the U.S. Department of Treasury's Internal Revenue Service (IRS) through the National Criminal Investigation Division organized a week-long Money Laundering Investigative Techniques training course attended by 25 government officials in Dar es Salaam. ¶8. "The training focuses on using financial investigations for anti-money laundering and counter terrorism financing efforts. ¶9. "The training and advice could not have come at any better time than this especially when the criminals know that channeling illicit money through conventional or traditional financial institutions is a non-starter, hence they resort to other complicated methods to move the money such as remittance systems, abuse of loosely regulated NGOs and charities or bulk smuggling of cash into jurisdictions where currency reporting requirements are weak. ¶10. "This therefore means that the government needs to pull up its socks and embark on sensitization programs where not only the directly involved organizations such as police, banks, NGOs and other stakeholders are trained on how to identify and deal with money laundering, but where the general public are educated on what to do when they come face to face with the illicit practice. ¶11. "With money launderers becoming smarter by day, there is need for concerted efforts in fighting this problem. In other words, all stakeholders in this country should join hands in the fight and make sure that the country is not used as a weak point and be taken advantage of by these unscrupulous business people as we will be the ones to suffer the consequences."