Litia Cava 
[Photo: FILE]
A gap in coordination between the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service and the Ministry of Immigration has come under scrutiny after concerns that people with major tax liabilities could leave Fiji.
Parliamentary Committee Member Rinesh Sharma questioned FRCS Chief Executive Officer Udit Singh on measures being taken to prevent a repeat of such cases.
Singh explained that customs officers currently operate the primary border line under a mandate provided by the Immigration Act.
He states Immigration can take back that responsibility at any time, but the border is currently a joint operation.
Singh said a new system was being introduced to strengthen controls over departures.
The system will allow departure orders to be loaded directly as soon as they are issued.
He said this would address coordination gaps between the two agencies and ensure departure orders are acted on immediately.
The committee also questioned whether FRCS would have to redirect its capital budget to fund expensive maritime surveillance equipment and patrol vessels under the proposed Vuvale Partnership.
Singh says FRCS already has its own capital expenditure program, approved by its board and the Ministry of Finance.
He states that the program will not be affected by the Vuvale Partnership.
Instead, Singh says FRCS is expected to benefit from the partnership through vessels, other assets and technology.
He adds that the agency will continue investing in its own capabilities through its existing capital program and will not be required to fund the partnership assets from its own budget.
