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Financial Intelligence Unit looks to tighten controls

SUVA, Fiji (Fijilive, Dec. 4, 2013) – Fiji’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) is tightening anti-money laundering controls on non-financial institutions because of increasing number of money laundering cases involving lawyers, accountants and real estate agents.

FIU director Razim Buksh says non-financial institutions have become increasingly viable targets for money laundering activity because there has not been much focus on them as opposed to tighter controls in place on traditional financial service providers.

"We have seen non-financial institutions sector being misused to assist in the laundering of funds," Buksh said.

"The FIU continues to receive reports on the abuse of the lawyers, accountants, real estate agents for tax evasion and money laundering. Funds from illicit and criminal activities need to be laundered so that it can be used by criminals and that they remain undetected and hidden...

‘Colagate’ Report To Be Presented In Cook Islands Parliament Importer’s deal with Coca Cola allegedly cost country millions

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Dec. 4, 2013) – The Public Accounts Committee in the Cook Islands says it is ready to table a preliminary report on the ‘Colagate’ issue in parliament.

It was revealed at the start of this year that since the mid-1980s the Cook Islands Trading Company, which imports Coca Cola, had an arrangement cutting its import tax.

The so-called ‘Colagate’ deal is claimed to have hurt competitors and cost the country millions of dollars.

The chair of the Public Accounts Committee, John Henry, says they have called on people from customs and the private sector as part of preliminary hearings over the past two months.

"Having gone through that, we felt that we are ready to put things together, because it has given us a very clear picture now about the whole process on this very...

Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

News Release

Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Programme Suva, Fiji

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

During the 9th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas being held today in Suva, Fiji, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat today signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to provide a framework of co-operation between the two partner organisations. Within this framework, the Parties will consult each other to improve coordination and foster collaboration on the focal areas they have agreed to under the MOU.

The MOU serves to formalise and strengthen a partnership to foster regional cooperation to address the varied issues faced by the SPREP and MSG membership. The agreed focal areas of...

National Health Accounts Report for 2011-2012 released

SUVA, Fiji (Fijilive, Dec. 5, 2013) – Fiji’s health ministry used FJ$256.8 million [US$137 million] in 2012 to treat patients, with a large portion spent on curative care.

According to the National Health Accounts (NHA) Report 2011-2012 for Fiji which was launched in Suva yesterday, 46.5 per cent was spent on inpatient care and 53.5 per cent was spent on outpatient care in 2012.

The cost of treating diseases was reduced from FJ$37.8 million [US$20.2 million] in 2011 to FJ$36.8 million [US$19.6 million] last year while Non-Communicable Diseases accounted for 40 per cent of the total cost of diseases.

The report stated increased investments into the health sector over the past two years were by private sector with 90 per cent of hospital expenditure financed by public sources.

Health providers that counted for most expenditure in 2012 were hospitals with 46 per cent and retailers involved in...