Sheikh Ahmed bin Eid Al Thani and Sheikh Fahad bin Faisal Al Thani at the launch of the QFIU strategy at Four Seasons hotel yesterday. (Shaival Dalal)
Doha: Qatar Financial Information Unit (QFIU) yesterday set in motion its strategy for 2013-2017 during a ceremony that also witnessed the launch of a new mission and vision in the presence of Sheikh Fahad bin Faisal Al Thani, the Deputy Governor of Qatar Central Bank (QCB) and Chairman of the National Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Committee.
Speaking during the ceremony, QFIU chief Sheikh Ahmed bin Eid Al Thani said the official statistics showed that Qatar has seen a large drop in major crime compared to the universal rates.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Eid added that the launch of the strategy comes in the midst of rising global crime rates and growing risks that threaten communities and national economies, underlining the significance of tightening control systems as crime develops sometimes beyond legitimate systems.
He noted that since its conception in 2004, QIFU has enhanced its protective role along with detection and technical investigation roles, adding that the unit has contributed to the launch of a number of projects of the control strategy such as the national risk evaluation, which was adopted by the National Anti- Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Committee in 2010.
QIFU also helped in the legislative amendment to Law No. 4 of 2010 on combating money laundering and terrorist financing, QIFU chief noted.
As for its role on the international arena, Sheikh Ahmed bin Eid Al Thani pointed to QIFU’s membership of the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units as a representative of Asia, the first Middle Eastern unit to hold that position.
The ceremony was attended by Dr Issa bin Saad Al-Nuaimi, the Cabinet’s Secretary General, and Dr Saleh Al Nabit, Secretary-General of the General Secretariat for Development Planning (GSDP).
QNA
