NEW CHAIRMAN FOR ACC

ARCI Minister Murray McCully has announced today that David Caygill has been appointed Chairman of the Accident Rehabilitation and Compensation Insurance Corporation.

He said Mr Caygill, as a former Minister of Finance and a current partner in law firm Buddle Findlay, was well qualified to lead ARCI Corporation into a more challenging era.

"David Caygill brings a wealth of experience to his new role," said Mr McCully.

He paid tribute to outgoing chairman, Bill Falconer, who was retiring after two terms but would continue to act as a special advisor to the Minister during the lead-up to the introduction of competition.

"Bill Falconer made an outstanding contribution to the Corporation, and I am delighted that he is prepared to make his vast experience available to us during the upcoming transition," said Mr McCully.

The Government is separating out the existing workers' compensation part of ARCI Corporation into a stand-alone entity that will be set up in time for the opening of the Employers' Scheme to competition from 1 July 1999.

"This means ARCI Corporation will need to refocus on its core business of managing the non-competitive accounts and existing claims," said Mr McCully. "There is also work to be done to consolidate and expand a branch network which can undertake case management and which is also able to offer agency services to private insurers."