Whistle blower receives $22,511 for tipping FRCA

A 31-year-old woman who tipped the Fiji Revenue and Customs Authority of a company that indulged in an unethical practice by evading Customs Tax and Duties received $22,511 cash payout by FRCA.

FRCA Acting Chief Executive Officer Visvanath Das says the information provided by her through the FRCA Whistleblower Policy led to the successful recovery of more than half a million dollars in Customs Duty and VAT.

He says this payment was in accordance with the FRCA Whistleblower Policy and the Whistleblower legislative provision in the FRCA Act.

Das says a whistle blower that provides information or documents to the authority contributing significantly to the success of the investigation and prosecution by the Authority shall be entitled to up to 10 per cent of the tax revenue recovered as a monetary reward.

He says the non-compliant taxpayers will face the full brunt of the law.

Das says given their limited resources, this partnership approach between the public and FRCA complements their Tax and Customs compliance efforts in the monitoring and identification of these fraudulent activities.

He says they treat all information as absolutely confidential.

Das says as FRCA officers are required to act with integrity at all times in providing tax and customs services to their customers they also expect taxpayers to fulfill their tax and customs obligations.