The 2009 National Budget is aimed at increasing economic growth through investments and a number of incentives for businesses to lead the way in growth and creating employment opportunities.

This budget has the highest number of business incentives and concessions ever and include the biggest ever allocation for Fiji Visitors Bureau now known as Tourism Fiji.

While presenting next year's National Budget, Interim Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama said high priority has been given to infrastructure development, economic growth is projected to go in line to be pro-poor and the public sector to do more for less.

We start off with duties and taxes - what is going up or down:

For those who earn 15,000 dollars or less, the income tax threshold remains at 15,000 dollars which means that in 2009 these people will not pay any Income Tax or PAYE. The income tax threshold will remain the same for 2010.

The Government will revert to normal duty rates as follows, motor spirits or unleaded fuel from 34 cents to 44 cents per litre, diesel from 9 cents to 18 cents per litre and pre-mix outboard fuel from 17 cents to 27 cents per litre. Commodore Bainimarama new domestic retail price will be effective from 1st December 2008 and it is expected to be lower based on the reduction in the current world oil prices.

Government has maintained the concessions on basic food items like rice, oil and tinned fish which was put in place in June this year.

There is also a reduction in fiscal duty from 5% to 0% on full cream powdered milk in bulk, liquid milk in bulk and bulk butter.

The price of imported chicken will increase as fiscal duty of chicken has increased from 15% to 32% next year.

For LPG vehicles, mainly taxi drivers. There is good news as the fiscal duty has been reduced from 27% or 60% of specific rates whichever is the greater to 0%, which means that the price of LPG powered vehicles will drop.

Prices of Mobile Phones will increase as fiscal duty has gone up from 15% to 32%.

Export duty on unprocessed fish - A duty of 3% will be levied on export of unprocessed fish.

Export duty on timber - Duty of 3% will be levied on raw and unprocessed timber.

Bus Industry - Free fiscal duty on ticketing machines and ticketing machine parts and free import excise duty on ticketing machines and ticketing machine parts.

The fiscal duty on all items under the 27% duty ban will now be raised to 32% with immediate effect. These are imported items which are also manufactured locally. This duty ban has been applied to protect the local industry. The items include noodles, bottled water, biscuits, certain garments and footwear, canned foods which are imported, imported cigarettes and alcohol. So this basically means that the government has come out and increased the duty by 5 percent on imported items to protect our local businesses which are manufacturing similar items.

There is an increase in fiscal duty on multi wick kerosene stoves and spare parts from 5% to 32 %. Duty will also be increased on Golf cars and similar vehicles from 15% to 32%.