FCCC to set up prebudget team
The Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC) will set up a team to conduct pre-budget price comparisons on imported fruits and vegetables around the country.
Commissions chief executive officer Joel Abraham made the remark after the 2018/2019 National Budget was announced by the Attorney General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum last week on Thursday.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum announced that the duties would be reduced from five per cent to zero per cent on apples, grapes, oranges, pears, kiwi fruit, strawberries, apricot, peaches, plum, grapefruit, raspberries, cranberries, pomegranate, carrots, mixed vegetable, celery, capsicum, mushrooms, asparagus, leeks, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussel sprouts.
Mr Abraham said the FCCC would be looking at whether the duty reduction does get passed.
He said in-terms of preparation, the FCCC would spend a lot of its resources in sending their staff out to make sure that they got pre-budget prices so that they were able to compare them should there be any duty reductions post budget.
“We will also be doing a plan of action looking at how we are going to monitor this and it is my commitment that we will see to it that the prices of imported fruits and vegetables are reduced,” Mr Abraham said. “Those that are thinking about not complying or trying to goose-step the system, let this be a warning to you that we will come down hard on them.
“It is a family oriented budget.
“All Fijians will relate to it as encouraging and beneficial policies have been put in the budget for them.
“It is very important that we keep on building on our human capital because at the end of the day it is the people that will run the country,” Mr Abraham said.
Edited by Losirene Lacanivalu