TELS is costly but we would be in a worse place without it - FRCS

There’s no doubt that Tertiary Education Loans Scheme is a costly scheme but without it, we would be in a worse place.

This was stated by the CEO of the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service, Mark Dixon while responding to SODELPA MP, Inosi Kuridrani’s question on what is being done to recover arrears as it was highlighted that TELS accounts for major arrears.

Dixon says giving young people an opportunity to study at tertiary level is critically important.

As far as the debt collection issue is concerned, Dixon says they are mindful of all the issues faced by young students and this is where time to pay arrangements can be used.

Kuridrani says he is concerned regarding the significant increase in arrears in items like income tax, VAT, customs and TELS based on FRCS Annual Report for 2017 and 2018.

He says it has increased to around 30 to 40 percent for all these items.