ONE hundred and fifty operators of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) graduated from this year’s Business Community Program (BCP) to mark the national MSME Day at the Fiji Revenue and Customs Services (FRCS) head office in Suva yesterday.
The BCP is a three-year initiative by the tax office, designed to empower MSMEs through tailored support, training and engagement.
This year’s graduation featured 50 MSME operators that have fully completed their three-year journey towards full tax and customs compliance, while the other 100 MSMEs will advance into their first and second year of the program.
Officiating at the graduation was Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection, Sashi Kiran, who acknowledged FRCS’ commitment to supporting MSMEs in the country.
“I want to acknowledge the various training programs and outreach activities FRCS has undertaken. These have helped MSMEs better understand their tax obligations, access available incentives and navigate often complex customs processes critical to their growth and expansion,” Ms Kiran said.
She pointed out that FRCSs efforts toward these initiatives were not just about promoting compliance but about capacity building, boosting transparency and advancing economic empowerment.
FRCS chief executive officer Udit Singh congratulated the newest cohort for their BCP initiative and noted that to date, FRCS has trained more than 6000 MSMEs on tax compliance.
“The FRCS MSME Support Centre was launched under the 2020–2021 budget to provide tailored tax and customs advisory services,” Mr Singh said.
“Despite early challenges, we have pushed forward with a clear focus to make tax compliance easier, accessible and empowering.
“We’ve shifted from a reactive to a proactive approach. Instead of waiting for SMEs to come to us, we have created platforms that reach out, educate and support them.
“Over the past two and a half years, we’ve trained more than 6000 MSMEs on tax literacy, bookkeeping and financial management,” Mr Singh said.
He said FRCS was committed to further training communities to build confidence, promote voluntary compliance and help MSMEs grow sustainably.
