Economy Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum [Image Source: Parliament of the Republic of Fiji]

A massive 277 issues need an urgent attention of the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service.

A business reform committee has been tasked with reviewing tax and customs administration, ensuring smooth implementation of the VAT Monitoring System and improving stakeholder engagement.

Economy Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says the twenty-eight member committee in one meeting has identified a host of issues.

Out of the 277 issues, the top-ranking issues that they’ve highlighted is that 13% of the respondents feel that business issues need to be addressed, Vat Monitoring System 12% feel the need to be addressed, 16% believe that FRCS Customer Service needs to improve. The other one is that was on top was Trade Facilitation needs to improve and also FRCS, the PR and the communication problem that they have needs to be also addressed mister speaker, Sir.  

Sayed-Khaiyum says Committee has been empowered to gather views from businesses.

“There was probably a particular level of dissatisfaction by some people in the business community for a lack of understanding by FRCS or some of their business processors and hopefully this will create a much better business environment for them.”

He says multi-million dollar companies, prominent business people and industry leaders make up the Business Reform Committee.

“The members of the committee also have representatives from manufacturers and Mr Speaker Sir the majority of the exports we have apart from agriculture, of course, it’s a manufacturing sector so manufacturers are actually represented.”

Sayed-Khaiyum says in anticipation of the committee report, the FRCA has already set-up a new Small Business Unit.