Hawala - kennt ihr diesen Begriff (ihr solltet) - 500 Beiträge pro Seite

[sharky007]

Fairerweise gehe ich davon aus dass den meisten von euch diese Art des Geldtransfers nicht bekannt ist. Den meisten Leuten die mal in der arabischen Welt waren sagt dies was, und es ist nebenbei gesagt eine der Haupteinnahmequellen des Moslem-Terrors, der zur Zeit die Völker der Welt bedroht.

Aber lest mal selbst:

http://www.expatsite.com/newsarticles/articledetail123.php3?…

Permitted To Be Remitted
Birjees Sarwat Hussain

Are you looking to send money to your ailing grandmother back home? Are you one of thousands of expatriates who continue to remit funds through the Hawala trader, even though legitimate channels are available? Whilst the returns from such transactions are appealing, have you considered its effects on the legitimate channels of your country?

Hawala is an Arabic word meaning ‘...written order of payment...’ and was ascribed to the accepted methods of money transmissions before the advent of today’s banking system. Then it was not considered illegal, since it was the only mode by which money transfers were available and most trade and commerce depended upon it.

In Urdu, the word means ‘introduction’ and nowadays the term is used to describe the transfer of currency abroad by means other than government-recognised channels. The system is now illegal since, unlike banks and other financial institutions, the Hawala trader is operating without authorisation. Any establishment intending to offer such a service is only permitted to do so with a proper license from the relevant authorities in the UAE. Anyone operating outside these parameters is doing so in violation of them.

Normally, if you want to send funds abroad, you would do so using a banker’s draft or request your bank to transfer funds by telex, or wire to a bank account in your country. In addition to the exchange rate, you would pay the bank’s transaction charges. For banker’s draft, you would have to courier or post the draft and wait for the funds to clear before withdrawal was possible. This could take between three to five days.

Dubai is one nation that can boast the existence of a free market. Its economy is one of the most stable in the world and there are no limitations on the movement of goods or currency. Despite this, the transfer of funds through Hawala is big business, attracting some 90 per cent of the remittances out of Dubai; and to the vast number of users in the UAE and the subcontinent, the financial advantages seem to outweigh the disadvantages.

Trevor is an Accounts Executive with an Dubai-based advertising agency, who uses the system quite regularly. “If I’m sending AED100 to India through a bank, I would get around INR1,200,” he explains. “If I went through Hawala, I would get between INR1,250 - 1,280 for the same amount. With a banker’s draft, I’d have wait for it to get there and pay postage costs.”

Generally, a Hawala trader is known from his reputation and is found by word of mouth, hence the name’s Urdu origins. He may operate out of an apartment, or from behind a shop counter and the services he offers are based on mutual trust and understanding. “I rarely use the system,” explains Rohit, a medical representative. “But they offer better exchange rates, sometimes 15 - 20 per cent lower than the bank’s. So, if I want to remit AED820, that’s exactly what my family will receive the other end, because I pay no other charges.”

How does it work? You give your dirhams to a Hawala trader, along with details of how and where you want the money to go. If sending to an individual, you provide full contact or bank account details. In return, you receive a slip of paper, bearing the remittance amount, the recipient’s name and the trader’s signature. Next, you call the recipient, informing them of your trade and details about how the money will reach them the following day.

The transaction at the Dubai end is complete. The trader’s agents, who are employed at the destination, ensure the funds reach their intended recipient and, if need be, even affect door-to-door delivery.

On the down side, all users of this system run the risk of parting with their money, only to discover that the trader has absconded with it. Ingrid is a lawyer’s secretary. “I’ve been using the Hawala route for many years now,” she says. “I’ve lost around AED400 - 500 in five years. It’s a small price to pay for the benefits of using the system.” Generally, the Hawala trader has a reputation to maintain; he is thus ‘reliable’ to the extent that his business depends on it.

The money reaching the recipient comes from the trader’s local rupee resources. The foreign exchange therefore remains abroad, thereby depleting the foreign exchange reserves of the country concerned. Owing to Dubai’s stable economy, there are no restrictions on the movement of goods or currency in and out of the country. Therefore, the trader in Dubai profits by buying and selling the currency he receives from the Hawala transaction, as well as importing and exporting gold and electronic goods. In fact, this is likely to be his primary business concern, part-funded by his Hawala trade.

If such an activity were being conducted in a developed country, its effects would not be as devastating as they are in a country with a developing economy, such as Pakistan or India. Hawala can have a profound effect on their economy and banking infrastructure, since no foreign exchange is entering their borders. In extreme cases, a currency crisis can arise, bringing with it increased taxes, high inflation rates, price rises and rising unemployment. These symptoms can trigger the population into instigating a mass flight of currency, further heightening the problem and resulting in high interest rates and low bank reserves; which in turn increases the need for more borrowing from developed countries.

Notwithstanding that this activity is illegal in Dubai, Hawala has little effect on the UAE’s economy. However, there are concerns that with such routes available, the government is unable to keep a track of the funds transmitted. And, as with all territories, there is also an adverse effect on its banking structure.

There are also legal issues associated with this practice. “It’s a form of indirect money laundering,” remarked an American lawyer. “In Dubai, it’s a grey area because there are no specific laws governing it.”

According to one British solicitor, it is not so much the individual who is at risk from using the Hawala system, but the trader offering the service. “This is because there are no exchange controls in place for private individuals and no provisions in the Penal Code either. He could perhaps be cited on compliance liability, because he is violating the law.”

So too is the Hawala trader, but according to one national lawyer, Omar Khalife, “There are no express provisions in the Dubai Penal Code prohibiting the Hawala trade as such.” Therefore apprehending such offenders for that particular violation is a task in itself for the Economic Crime Section of the Dubai Police Headquarters, who view this violation as being ‘not very important.’

In the absence of any express provisions prohibiting Hawala, what penalties does the trader incur? “That depends on the charge,” says Khalife. “Without express provisions to back them, the legal system has to cite other non-compliances, such as violation of the law of the Central Bank. In addition, the trader is exercising financial activities without a proper licence from the Dubai Economic Department. There is also the Commercial Law that deals especially with Commercial Agencies, which he is also likely to be breaking.”

Other solutions have also been suggested. All countries exercise control over their exchange rate, but in some, it is the excesses associated with this control that is believed to drive the individual to the Hawala trader. Many lawmakers are of the opinion that if this control were loosened, it might reduce their numbers. Moreover, because developing economies tend to have a fluctuating and unstable exchange rate, there is a ceiling on the amount of money permitted to be remitted abroad. It therefore follows that the individual wishing to remit a sum in excess of this limit, will wish to use a system that does not document his transaction. Therefore, removing the limit might encourage the individual to use legitimate channels.

Furthermore, it has been suggested by some users of Hawala that banks should consider adopting the system, but they would be doing so at the expense of reducing one of their major sources of income. “Banks not only lend money to investors and individuals,” comments a local bank official, “but a large proportion of their return is derived from the remittance of funds and the charges associated with it. These are funds that are injected back into the country, thereby boosting its economy.”

From a moral standpoint, nationals of a particular country who indulge in this type of activity are, in the long-run, not helping their country. By actively participating in the system, they are not only doing a disservice to their country, but are perceived to be assisting the trader in his illegal endeavours, which directly affect the country.

But why just blame the man in the street? In the subcontinent, the Hawala trade has a major stronghold in society. Any attempts to curb it are thwarted, because of the extensive network to which they belong. This network also tends to include the country’s top politicians and businessmen, who are looking to avert detection of large sums of money leaving the country. With such strong backing, the Hawala business will no doubt continue to flourish.

[ombaba]

Der Hawali-marcet ist auch in Indien weit verbreitet.
Er wird allgemeinen zum Geldwechseln benutzt.
Die Raten sind stets um einiges besser,
als bei einer Bank.
Ausserdem bracuht nicht nachgezaehlt werden,
es stimmt immer,
bei den Banken dagegen, ist groesste Vorsicht geboten.

Der Hawali-Haendler ist auch sonst gerne mit Rat
und Tat behilflich.

[Bill Clinton]

Hey Sharky,

du brauchst hier keine Israelische Propaganda zu machen!

Die Mehrheit der Deutschen stehen hinter den Arabern, auch
wenn sie Terroristen sind!

gruss