WELLINGTON, July 24 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Justice Minister Andrew Little on Tuesday launched a public information campaign to raise awareness about the problem of money laundering by domestic and foreign criminals here in New Zealand.
"The Keep Our Money Clean campaign is about keeping our international corruption-free reputation and making sure Kiwi businesses are informed and prepared," Little said in a statement.
The campaign uses print and digital advertising and will run in four phases as new business sectors come under the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act, which affects lawyers from July, accountants from October, real estate agents from January next year and high value goods dealers and the New Zealand Racing Board from August 2019.
"New Zealanders are rightly proud that our country is free from corruption. To keep it that way we need all Kiwi businesses to be vigilant so criminals with dirty money won't do us any harm," Little said.
Money launderers undermine the country's financial and justice systems and leave the country vulnerable to trans-national crime, he said.
The government has prepared "Keep our Money Clean" information packs for law practices, accounting business agents and real estate agents so that customers can understand the anti-money laundering requirements, according to the minister.