Government forms new Business Reform Committee to bring about efficient systems in FRCS

The government has formed a new Business Reform Committee where it is partnering with a team of Fijian CEOs and business executives to bring about efficient systems and processes in the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service.

Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says the task of the committee will be to root out unnecessary bureaucracy and inconsistency wherever it resides in Fiji Revenue and Customs Service and instil a new corporate culture within Revenue and Customs that is empathetic to the challenges business face and personalised to the unique needs of Fijian businesses of different sizes and from different industries.

The committee’s report will specifically review tax and customs administration; the implementation of VAT Monitoring Systems; and Revenue and Customs’ stakeholder engagement strategies.

It will also examine the effectiveness of trade and investment facilitation policies and identify opportunities for specialisation within Fiji Revenue and Customs to provide service offerings tailored to businesses of different sizes and sectors.

Once finalised, the report will be presented to the Ministry of Economy.

The committee will include Anjani Singh; Sandeep Chauhan; Nitesh Lal; Fantasha Lockington; Saud Abdul Minam; John Samisoni;  Himmat Lodhia; Adelene Tutu; Dilip Khatri; Peter Rankin; Sanjay Kaba; Marita Manley; Mohammed Khan; Sandip Kumar; Lala Sowane;  Bhavesh Kumar; Romit Meghji; George Goundar; Dilen Kumar; Nilesh Prasad; Justin Hunter; Dr Nur Bano Ali; Sangeeta Maharaj;  Winston Hill; Kirit Patel; Kaushal Tappoo; Gordon Jenkins and Vera Chute.

The committee will be chaired by Dilip Khatri.

Aside from private sector membership, the committee will include representatives from the Reserve Bank of Fiji, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Solicitor General’s Office.

A government statement says through the newly formed committee, Fiji is tapping into business acumen across a wide array of industries, perspectives and backgrounds to revolutionise the services offered by the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service.

It states that guided by an overarching mandate to foster transparency, improve efficiency and support a more customer‑oriented level of service, the Committee will leverage the knowledge and experiences of its membership to compile a comprehensive report on how the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service can better serve the private sector.

The Committee was first announced by the Attorney‑General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed‑Khaiyum in the 2019‑2020 National Budget Address.

Sayed-Khaiyum says Fiji has charted historic economic progress because the government who recognises the importance of collaborating with our private sector partners to fuel the engine of the Fijian economy.

He says running a successful enterprise isn’t always easy – no one understands the challenges better than women and men who have started and built business themselves.

Sayed-Khaiyum says through the Business Reform Committee, they are bringing those invaluable experiences to bear in re‑shaping FRCS into a more customer‑focused organisation.

Committee member, Sangeeta Maharaj says hard‑working business owners deserve to operate in an environment where transparency is paramount and regulations are enforced in a clear and consistent manner.

Maharaj says she is looking forward to working with her fellow committee members and the Ministry of Economy to make life easier for businesses of all sizes throughout the country by putting FRCS focus more squarely on the businesses they are here to serve.

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