‘Figures In Previous Government Budget Estimates Filled With Mistakes’

Budget estimate figures in the debates under previous governments were replete with mistakes.

Attorney-General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum made the point in Parliament yesterday while arguing the amendment to the Value Added Tax Act of 1991 in the form of the VAT Amendment No.2 Bill of 2022.

The Bill sought to amend the incorrectly referenced customs tariff code for gas stoves and the omission of the code for sanitary pads.

The mistake meant that the VAT for pads would remain at nine per cent instead of a reduction to zero per cent.

Furthermore, it would give rise to operational issues at Fiji Revenue and Customs Service.

The two items were part of about 1500 customs tariff code items that were provided by FRCS to cater for the changes in VAT proposed in the revised 2021/2022 Budget announced by the Government.

NFP

While objecting to the motion being tabled under Standing Order 51, National Federation Party Member of Parliament Pio Tikoduadua suggested that although it would take time the amendment should go through the parliament process of scrutiny to save them the embarrassment.

“We’re trying to correct it so that ordinary Fijians, retailers, wholesalers, importers, and manufacturers don’t get confused by any of the coding numbers."

"So that the benefits announced in the Budget can be rolled out without confusion,” Mr Sayed- Khaiyum said.

He added that by objecting, Mr Tikoduadua had implied that women who needed to buy sanitary pads should not pay zero per cent VAT for it.

However, Mr Tikoduadua clarified that he supported the amendment.

SODELPA

SODELPA MP Viliame Gavoka argued that they needed more clarification on the corrections raised.

He said corrections of the likennever happened in previous parliaments and that the processes being followed now were an abuse of the way parliament operated.

Mr Gavoka said if it was a company, the CEO would be fired for the mistakes.

In response, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said it was pathetic that the Opposition tried to capitalise on the two code items, labelling it “pathetically cheap political grandstanding”.

At the culmination of the debate, the motion was agreed to unanimously and the Bill was enacted.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum also moved the Customs Tariff Amendment No.2 Bill 2022 which was also passed in Parliament.

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