Juken Nissho: "Not Of Good Character" Complaint To Overseas Investment Commission

9 March 2004

Mr Stephen Dawe, Secretary

Overseas Investment Commission

Box 2498

Wellington

JUKEN NISSHO: NOT OF GOOD CHARACTER

Dear Mr Dawe,

I refer to the two enclosed OIC Decisions from January 2004 involving approvals for Juken Nissho.

I enclose the Judges’ Report for the 2003 Roger Award for the Worst Transnational Corporation Operating in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

We believe that the material contained in this Report, plus the material from which the judges made their decision (including the voluminous and damning Occupational Helath and Safety Service audit of Juken Nissho) indicates that "the persons who exercise control over the applicants" are not of good character, in that they have allowed this disgraceful state of affairs to come about, particularly the repeated violations of New Zealand’s health and safety laws. In the process, Juken Nissho has acquired a most impressive criminal record, which is detailed in the Report.

If requested, we would be only too happy to supply the OIC with the material from which the Roger Award judges made their decision. Failing that, you can get it, as we did, from OSH directly.

In light of this, we ask you to explain why the OIC gave approval for the two January 2004 proposals involving Juken Nissho and, further, to explain why they should not be revoked.

You may be interested to know that, following the announcement of the winner, I was rung by the Japanese Embassy (a first in itself) and asked a number of questions about the Roger Award. One was: "Does the OIC take the Roger Award into account when considering applications from foreign investors?" Perhaps you could answer that for both us and the Embassy. And, to anticipate your answer, we would urge that the Commission definitely should do so.

Yours sincerely,

Murray Horton

Secretary/Organiser

CAFCA Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa

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