Biman: No plans to increase taxes

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Panellists for the Fiji’s National Development Plan 2025-2029 and Vision 2050: Pathway for Sustainable Development in Fiji, organised by Dialogue Fiji. From Left to Right: Managing Director Pacific Operations, Citywide Assesors Ltd, Paulo Ralulu, Investment Fiji Chair, Jenny Seeto, Executive Director Dialogue Fiji, Nilesh Lal, Opposition Independent Member of Parliament, Jone Usamate, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad, Vice President Conservation International Pacific Region, Susana Tuisese, Acting Vice Chancellor, USP Prof. Gurmeet Singh and Senior Fellow Graduate School of Bussines, Dr. Mahendra Reddy. Picture: SUPPLIED

There are no plans to increase corporate income tax and personal tax to support the National Development Plan (NDP) 2025-2029.

This was highlighted by Deputy Prime Minister Professor Biman Prasad during a panel discussion on the NDP at the University of the South Pacific in Suva on Tuesday.

While responding to a query from the public, Prof Prasad stated personal income tax in Fiji remained the lowest compared with other countries.

He acknowledged the on-going economic transition post COVID-19 and the need to keep income tax unchanged.

“We kept the personal income tax; we don’t envisage change that now because we realise people are still transitioning after COVID in terms of getting a good income,” Prof Prasad said.

“So, the tax threshold remains, we don’t have any plans to change that.”

He reassured that there were no plans to change the tax threshold or personal income tax.

“One of the things that we said when got into government, was that we said that we are going to be very open and transparent in respect to our tax policies.

“Well before we announced tax changes in the last budget in 2023, we foreshadowed it to the fiscal review committee, there was a lot more discussion, arguments for and against with visitor corporate tax.”

“There is nothing on the agenda to increase it further.”