Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for External Trade, Co-operatives and SMEs, Manoa Kamikamica says a tax increase was in the People’s Alliance manifesto but for any tax increase to happen, a proper review is needed for the whole taxation system in Fiji.
While speaking after getting a briefing from the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport, Kamikamica says Minister for Finance and Deputy Prime Minister, Professor Biman Prasad will be leading that exercise and they will be providing an input as well because they have to handle all the private sector and small business players.
Kamikamica says they need to make sure whatever tax regime they come up with at the end of the exercise meets the objective of being simple, easily manageable, transparent and efficient.
He says people can expect a consistency of policy, collaboration and consultation if there is any changes in policy or taxation which something the previous Government never really did.
The Deputy Prime Minister further says he likes to think he can turbo charge the economy somehow because he knows there are projects that are on the table and ready to happen so if they can get those going, it will be a good place to start.
Kamikamica says after talking to some business people, he feels the level of direct foreign investment is not much.
He says if it is low, they need to consider what they can do to facilitate it.
He adds one of the secrets to success in the private sector is to create the policy requirement and laws and they do their thing and that is how they are going to play.
