Neu: 2001-12-03 Contents of this issue:
1. Tagata Funding 2. School Dux 3. Businessman Dies 4. No Stain ======================================================================== December 3rd, 2001 1. Tagata Funding: New Zealand On Air will dish out more than $4 million for six special interest projects that specifically cater for audiences of Asian and Pacific Island peoples, Christians, the gay community, rural and mixed ability communities. Tagata Pasifika a weekly 30 minute programme screened by TV 1 for Pacific Islanders in NZ, Samoa, the Cook islands and Niue has been allocated $515,000 for 18 series.The producer is Stephen Stehlin. NZ On Air chief executive Jo Tyndall says she is pleased with the response by producers and broadcasters after research conducted earlier this year into special interest programming showed some gaps between what the programmes were providing and what the communities and viewing audiences wanted. 2. School Dux Vanessa Marsh has been awarded dux of the Niue High School this year. the daughter of Nooroa and Graham Marsh of Alofi Vanessa who has also been head prefect said she's hoping to further her studies overseas and is interested in pursuing law or psychology. 3. Businessman Dies: Niue businessman and commodore of the Niue Yacht Club Wally Saunders (68) died suddenly at the Lord Liverpool Hospital Sunday. Sadly he passed away only minutes after a NZ airforce Orion landed at Hanan International Airport to take him to Auckland Hospital. Mr Saunders who was an electrician was co-owner of Alofi Rentals with his wife Mary. They bought Alofi Rentals in 1995 after moving to the island from Whangaroa in Northland NZ where they were active members of the local Big Game Fishing Club. In his younger days Mr Saunders played and coached softball in Auckland for the Richmond and United Clubs. He was also an Auckland representative softball player. Mr Saunders was a former chairman and vice chairman of the Niue Chamber of Commerce, a former board member of the Niue Tourist Authority and an executive member of the Tourist Association.. He sponsored many community activities on the island and supported the tourism industry. Both Mrs Saunders and Mr Saunders were renowned for their public relations work for the Niue Yacht Club. Mr Saunders is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters. 4. No Stain: New Zealand's banking reputation is intact despite near neighbours Niue, Nauru and the Cook Islands being placed on an international watchdog's terrorist financing hit list. After weeks of investigation linked to a targeting of terror money by the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) since the September 11 attacks on America, no evidence of financial activity linked to terrorism has been found in New Zealand. And despite New Zealand's close relationship with Pacific islands - Cook Islanders are Kiwi citizens, while Wellington has responsibility for Niue's external affairs - Reserve Bank legal adviser Steve Dawe says the Kiwi financial system won't be tainted. "New Zealand's reputation isn't tarnished at all," said Mr Dawe. "In fact, probably the opposite. "The FATF and its members are very complimentary of New Zealand's leadership role and the willingness of New Zealand to provide technical and other assistance to Pacific jurisdictions to help them meet international standards." The task force has included the Cook Islands, Nauru and Niue on a list of 15 banking jurisdictions which are "non-co-operative" in the international fight against dirty money. An FATF report said the jurisdictions had "serious systematic problems with money laundering controls and they must improve their rules and practices as expeditiously as possible or face possible sanctions." Set up in 1989 as an independent international body, the FATF polices money laundering and terrorist financing. New Zealand is one of 29 member countries and governments. Since September 11 there has been new urgency to establish international means to pick up abuse of financial systems. The task force says that offshore banking centres including Pacific islands fall short by having loopholes in financial regulations, obstacles raised by other regulatory requirements, obstacles to international co-operation and inadequate resources. In New Zealand, submissions closed last week on the Terrorist (Bombing and Financing) Bill which is proceeding through Parliament in order to meet ecommendations from the FATF. During a session in the American capital Washington late last month, which Mr Dawe attended, eight recommendations were issued which the FATF said would "deny terrorists and their supporters access to the international financial system." In terms of New Zealand, Mr Dawe confirmed banks and financial institutions were continuing with searches of their records for suspicious activity. "I was talking to one bank early this week," Mr Dawe said, "They have been through their records four or five times but haven't found anything suspicious. "Overall everyone is working hard and looking very closely at transactions but at this stage no assets with links to terrorist activity have been located or frozen in New Zealand." __END__
