Tax revenue generated from businesses in the North between 2022 and 2024 amounted to nearly $60 million.
Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS) Chief Executive Udit Singh credited the Fiji Government’s ‘Look North’ policy for 97,626 registered taxpayers and 13,824 businesses in Labasa and Savusavu, collectively generating approximately $57 million.
“We can see that the economic activity and development in the North is increasing significantly over the years,” Singh said. “Central to this is our commitment to listen, gather feedback, implement improvements to the business processes not only focused on enhancing customer experience but also reducing the cost of doing business and closing any tax gaps.”
Singh, along with the FRCS executive team, recently held forums in the North with tax and customs agents, Labasa Chamber of Commerce members, and Savusavu cooperatives to discuss tax compliance, the 2024/2025 National Budget, tax incentives, duty concessions, and the reactivation of the VAT Monitoring System (VMS) from August 1 this year.
During their visit, the FRCS leadership team engaged with several business owners and project developers, including those involved in food processing, transport, and agriculture. They also met with representatives from the Nawi Island Resort project in Savusavu, discussing progress on the major development and identifying ways FRCS can support its growth.
Singh said that FRCS’s engagement with businesses in the Northern Division was not only about ensuring compliance with tax regulations but also about building long-term partnerships that benefit both parties.
“If we are to form a trusted partnership – we need to understand the concerns of the businesses and assist them. This is because we want these businesses to flourish and grow and FRCS wants to enable this growth as the growth of these businesses will contribute to increased revenue and economic growth for Fiji,” Singh said.
