Landlords in Labasa Town have been requested by Labasa Chamber of Commerce and Industries (LCCI) president Satish Kumar to reduce rent up to 50 per cent.

The chamber with Fiji Revenue and Customs Authority (FRCA) and Fiji Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC) met with landlords and tenants in Labasa yesterday.

Mr Kumar said the rent ranges from $2500 to $4000.

“After conducting a survey, I found there is about 80 per cent drop in businesses for Labasa Town except supermarkets and pharmacies,” Mr Kumar said.

“Business operators and employers are facing difficulty in making wages for their employees and taking out money for expenses.

“I had explained to landlords the reason I put my request forward now because I don’t want to see tenants suffering and at a later stage decide to close down their shops,” he said.

“Imagine if gradually shops closed down, the flow of business and service to customers would be affected.

“Moreover, many people would lose their jobs, which would eventually lead to many family problems.”

He said landlords must understand the bigger picture because everyone was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The chamber has also requested landlords to waive 50 per cent rent for at least three to four months or if they wished, to extend it to December.

“Some of the landlords and tenants that attended the meeting were from TISI Sangam, Amrit Arcade, Takia mall, RB Patel, CJ Group and other mini business operators,” he said.

“Many landlords were co-operative and agreed to the reduction of 50 per cent rent.” Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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