CAROLINE Pickering is now the head of the Fiji Financial Intelligence Unit (Fiji FIU), the first woman to head the organisation, Fiji’s watchdog over money laundering and financial crimes.
Ms Pickering was appointed Fiji FIU director last week by Reserve Bank Governor Ariff Ali and she replaces Razim Buksh, who retired in 2023 after 17 years in the position.
“I am confident that Ms Caroline Pickering is the best person to successfully lead the Fiji FIU into its next growth stage,” Mr Ali said in a statement announcing her appointment.
“She has over 25 years of professional experience and expertise as well as strategic leadership capabilities needed to drive the Unit to deliver results in Fiji’s increasingly digital financial landscape, as well as work with its diverse range of partners in Government and the private sector.”
Ms Pickering joined the Fiji FIU in 2006 as manager Policy and Compliance.
She was instrumental in developing Fiji’s regulatory and supervisory framework to combat money laundering and financial crime.
In addition, Ms Pickering has extensive experience working with various financial institutions and government agencies to ensure regulatory safeguards are in place to prevent and/or detect financial crime in the financial sector. During this time, she has also held the acting director role in many instances.
As Fiji’s anti money laundering agency, the FIU receives and records all financial transactions carried out through 172 financial institutions in 12 sectors across the economy, from commercial banks to mobile phone companies, accounting firms, legal practitioners, money lenders, real estate agents to insurance and superannuation companies among others.
As of 2023, the FIU had a total of over 30million transactions on its database, according to its 2023 annual report tabled in Parliament last September.
NOTE: This article was first published in the print edition of the Fiji Times dated January 04, 2025.
