A call on banks and business to drop fees in support of Tonga response

The umbrella organisation for New Zealand’s aid agencies, Council for International Development is calling on banks and money transfer businesses to drop (or reduce) any bank fees as Tongan New Zealanders mobilise to send funds to support Tonga following the eruption.

Remittances play a critical role following an emergency in the Pacific. “The most urgent need in times of crisis is money, not stuff. No other type of donation can match its impact,” says Aaron Davy, Humanitarian Manager at Council for International Development.

“We urge banks and money-transference businesses to support humanitarian responses, by temporarily wavering transaction costs or keeping them at zero or less than 3% during an emergency response and removing bureaucratic barriers for already stressed families trying to send cash to family overseas.”

Kiwibank NZ have already responded, removing fees to send money to Tonga - 

Our heart is with Tonga. We’re waiving outward payment fees to send money to Tonga until the end of March. The usual fee will be applied when a payment is made and will be returned to your account within 3 working days 💚 We’re thinking of everyone impacted by the disaster.

— Kiwibank (@KiwibankNZ) January 18, 2022

 How to send cash safely:

* Donate to a trusted humanitarian organisation in New Zealand. For a full list of accredited humanitarian responders, go to the Council for International Development’s website www.cid.org.nz
* Use the same banks and businesses that you use to send remittances to impacted families or church communities in the Pacific
* If you still want to collect stuff, convert it into cash in New Zealand by selling it at a garage sale, then sending the cash.

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For more information on how to donate responsibly check out the video below -