/ 15 April 1999

ARMS COMMISSIONS SCRUTINISED

ALL commissions paid on arms transfers will in future as a matter of routine be disclosed to the Cabinet committee overseeing arms deals, Water Affairs Minister Kader Asmal, who heads the committee, announced on Wednesday. Commission amounts will now be included in normal applications to government to transfer or sell arms, according to Asmal. The move is designed to increase transparency in this murky area, where occasionally commissions are paid whether the deal is completed or not. Asmal admitted that policing the new regulations may be difficult, but pointed to previous successes in regulating mercenary activity to releive scepticism.