After four years of persistently highlighting the urgent need for drug rehabilitation centres, it is encouraging to finally see some action from Government.
The Government is offering exemption from all duties, including value-added tax, and tax holidays to individuals or entities which want to set up drug rehabilitation centres in Fiji.
We learn that Finance Minister Biman Prasad has offered the incentives under the Income Tax (Drug Rehabilitation Centre Incentives) Regulations 2025 which was gazetted on March 31.
This is the way to go. We have been advocating for drug rehabilitation because of the addiction rate we are now facing as a nation. And this hasn’t just popped out of the woodworks! Hard drugs like methamphetamine have been around for quite some time now!
We have young and old drug addicts who have nowhere to turn to if they want to leave the habit.
It’s tough doing that. They will need expert advice. They will need a centre that can understand their addiction and effectively deal with it. That means being equipped with health experts who know a thing or two about addiction and the response to treatment!
In the long run, it means good things for us as a nation.
We can talk about fighting the root cause – the producer and seller, but as more developed nations have discovered, it is going to be a tough challenge that will also need our collective efforts.
So while we will leave that bit to the law enforcers to deal with, we can still play our part in fighting drugs.
That starts from home!
It means creating awareness about the dangers of hard drugs on the home front, in our communities and in our schools.
It means talking about alternatives and encouraging our young to do other things besides being dragged down the path of drug addiction.
This opening for rehab centres is like a dream come true. It means finally, there is hope for people impacted by the drug habit!
If it means getting people off the streets, and off drug addiction, then we are headed in the right direction.
We learn that all applications to set up such a centre will be vetted by the Finance Ministry and Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS).
A person who has been granted provisional approval must complete the drug rehabilitation centre within 24 months from the date on which the provisional approval is granted.
For capital investment from $250,000 to $1million, tax exemption will be for a period of five consecutive years.
There will be a 7-year tax holiday for capital investment from $1m to $2m and 13 consecutive years of tax exemption for capital investment of more than $2m.
As we have said before: Rehabilitation is not a simple process. We need trained professionals who understand the complexities of addiction and the multifaceted journey of recovery.
We need centres that offer hope, structure, and the possibility of a new life.
With this good news, we now look forward to finally seeing the set up of rehab centres, soon! We have waited long enough! We welcome this development!
