The Fiji Financial Intelligence Unit needs stronger scrutiny and better reporting on the outcomes of its intelligence work.

Reserve Bank of Fiji Governor Ariff Ali highlighted this to the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, marking the first time the committee has invited the Reserve Bank to discuss the unit’s work.

Ali said that the FFIU plays a critical role in protecting Fiji’s financial system from money laundering, terrorism financing, tax crime and other financial offences.

“One of the areas that can be improved is understanding what happens to those intelligence reports, what stage they are at, and whether they led to investigations or prosecutions,” he said.

Committee members questioned the effectiveness of the FIU, pointing to concerns over major drug-related cases and the apparent lack of performance targets in the annual report.

Ali agreed that reporting should go beyond listing activities and include measurable outcomes and progress on investigations.

He also confirmed that Fiji’s anti-money laundering framework is being reviewed and refined following international evaluations by the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG).

The Governor highlighted the links between drug trafficking, financial crime and broader social issues, arguing that money laundering is not only an economic issue but also a public health and national security concern.

Ali said compliance should be the focus of enforcement efforts, adding that all taxpayers should pay the correct amount of tax.