Shania Shayal Prasad 
The Ministry of Finance has expressed confidence that Fiji will be removed from the European Union blacklist following an upcoming review.
While speaking during the Post Budget Breakfast, Permanent Secretary for Finance Shiri Gounder emphasized government’s commitment to maintaining exporter support.
Gounder stresses that removal from the blacklist is essential to avoid reputational damage and to maintain strong relationships with key multi-lateral partners such as the IMF, World Bank, and Asian Development Bank.
Ministry of Finance, Strategic Planning, National Development & Statistics Permanent Secretary / [Source: Fiji Government (file photo)]
Addressing concerns around the Export Incentive Deduction, which has been a controversial issue since its introduction in 2012, Gounder acknowledged that despite significant reforms around tax transparency and compliance, the EID remains the main hurdle keeping Fiji on the blacklist.
“We are having the review with the EU in the next four to six months, and with the current circumstances and the situation as we have laid out, we are very confident that we should get out of the blacklist. And at a later point, we will make a decision in terms of the future of EID and in what form we can bring it, in the current form, or should we modify it in terms of some of the requirements of the European Union.”
Gounder assures that the government will engage with the private sector after delisting to explore alternative ways to support exporters in compliance with EU and WTO rules, with current export benefits remaining intact through 2025.
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