An Urgent Appeal from President Kay Bisnath: Stop Remittance Ripoffs

Posted December 28, 2011

This holiday season, Pascal Apuwa, an ACORN Canada member and immigrant from Kenya, is going to remit whatever he can scrape together to his family living in the Korogocho mega-slum outside Nairobi.

Whether Pascal ends up sending $40, $75 or $100—one thing we know for sure is that Western Union is going to take at least 20% of it. 1

These kind of inflated rates can’t be justified and are keeping billions out of the developing world that are desperately needed. That’s why ACORN Canada is building a national campaign to hold big banks and companies like Western Union accountable.

Can you help hold big banks and companies like Western Union accountable?

YES, I can chip in to hold these companies accountable.

We are organizing to win new regulations from the Provinces and the Federal government to rein in the fees remittance providers can charge on remittances.
Remember, this is big business. Over $400 billion a year are remitted from the developed to the developing world – that’s more than all the foreign aid provided by Western governments combined.2

While the World Bank recommends that transaction costs not exceed 5% of the total – big banks and companies like Western Union are charging fees much higher and pocketing over $44 billion off transfers each year. Money that is meant for some of the poorest parts of the world.

Help us stop this corporate ripoff of working families at home and abroad.

Click here to support the campaign >>

I know Western Union would like to carry on business as usual—but this issue is too important.

This holiday season, Pascal Apuwa, an ACORN Canada member and immigrant from Kenya, is going to remit whatever he can scrape together to his family living in the Korogocho mega-slum outside Nairobi.

Whether Pascal ends up sending $40, $75 or $100—one thing we know for sure is that Western Union is going to take at least 20% of it. 1

These kind of inflated rates can’t be justified and are keeping billions out of the developing world that are desperately needed. That’s why ACORN Canada is building a national campaign to hold big banks and companies like Western Union accountable.

Can you help hold big banks and companies like Western Union accountable?

YES, I can chip in to hold these companies accountable.

We are organizing to win new regulations from the Provinces and the Federal government to rein in the fees remittance providers can charge on remittances.
Remember, this is big business. Over $400 billion a year are remitted from the developed to the developing world – that’s more than all the foreign aid provided by Western governments combined.2

While the World Bank recommends that transaction costs not exceed 5% of the total – big banks and companies like Western Union are charging fees much higher and pocketing over $44 billion off transfers each year. Money that is meant for some of the poorest parts of the world.

Help us stop this corporate ripoff of working families at home and abroad.

Click here to support the campaign >>

I know Western Union would like to carry on business as usual—but this issue is too important.

 

Kay Bisnath, President
ACORN Canada