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SANA-00 /001W
R 191201Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9045
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."