Ambassador scheme will be reviewed

Press, 19 December 1985, Page 7

Ambassador scheme will be reviewed

PA Wellington The proposed Market Development Board will be asked to review the Government’s sports and cultural ambassadors scheme, the Minister of Recreation and Sport, Mr Moore, said yesterday.

Mr Moore, who is also the Minister of Overseas Trade and Marketing, said an interdepartmental study had shown some weaknesses. The review would not be made public, but it suggested there could be improvements in linking ambassador’s visits with industry promotions overseas, he said through a spokesman. Since December, 1984, 48 ambassadorships have been awarded, the 10 latest being made last week.

Under the scheme, each person or organisation received a grant of $5OOO towards the expenses of overseas commitments in return for services to promote New Zealand.

However, Mr Moore said it was not possible to detail the amount of exposure the ambassadors had given to New Zealand.

The scheme was not set up to be audited, but to encourage and help sportsmen and cultural people, he said. “It was set up initially to help sportsmen,” Mr Moore said.

“It could have been grants in terms of getting money to sportsmen. Contributions like this have never been tagged before.”

Mr Moore said the Market Development Board would be asked to consider the interdepartmental study and look at conditions that

could be tagged to such grants. “The opportunities to make better use of such people will be an important step towards maximum use of the ‘investment’.”

Legislation establishing the board has almost completed its passage through Parliament. Mr Moore said he was

pleased with the way the scheme had been running. Some of the ambassadorships had been spectacularly successful.