A special sub-committee has been set up to deal with illegal operators says Fiji Rental Car Association President, Shalit Kumar.

Kumar says the sub-committee will liaise with statutory strategic partners on the matter for a constant flow of information.

Kumar says the association executives had a fruitful meeting with the Land Transport Authority to discuss issues that are currently threatening the rental car industry.

He says these operators are operating openly, advertising on social media and there are many individuals running fleets of up to 10 or more private cars.

Kumar says the increase in VAT component announced in the revised budget recently is going to impact operators heavily as they pay their taxes and operate within the legal boundaries of the LTA Act.

However, he stresses that illegal operators do not pay any VAT, or taxes and are not operating within the legal boundaries.

Kumar says they are already in talks with other statutory organizations to join hands in taking severe action against illegal operators.

The Fiji Rental Car Association executive members will be in the West tomorrow to meet with rental car operators in each district, get feedback and discuss difficulties being faced by operators in their daily operations with the view to look at possible solutions to ease their way of doing business under current circumstances.