Premila Kumar questions businesses on how the government will pay for health facilities if taxes are reduced

Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Premila Kumar has asked businesses on how the government will pay for health facilities and civil servants if they reduce government revenue by reducing taxes.

This is after businesses asked the government to reduce taxation rates for companies and Small and Micro Enterprises, waive all penalties on late tax payments, reduce VAT, departure tax to be suspended and remove stamp duty on mortgages.

While speaking at the Fiji Chamber of Commerce Business Forum on how to combat the potential crisis in the economy due to COVID-19, Attorney General and Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says they want to hear specifically from individual sectors because the feedback they are getting at the moment is very general.

He says they need companies to let them know if they lack supply so they can be assisted.

Sayed-Khaiyum has asked businesses to discuss the challenges they are facing with the government due to the economic slowdown to ensure that they can work together and find solutions.

He says they need to understand what sort of challenges local businesses are facing.

He says some construction companies have raised concerns that they were getting their steel frames from China which is not possible anymore.

Sayed-Khaiyum says they want those constructions to go ahead and the economic activity to carry on.

He says therefore, it is critical for businesses to provide them with their submissions and the government will be happy to assist.

Sayed-Khaiyum will present a COVID-19 response Supplementary Budget at 7.30pm next Thursday.