Stakeholders in the bottle water industry have announced that all production of bottled water will be ceased and over 700 employees will remain without work until a solution is found to their grievances against the new duty imposed on bottled water.
Speaking on behalf of the 10 water bottling companies Island Chill Director Jay Dayal confirms that all production of bottled water will cease until further notice.
Dayal confirms that all employees of Please Beverage, Fiji Water, VTY, Mr. Pure, Island Chill, Aqua Pacific, Diamond Aqua, Tapoo's Beverage, Fresh Spring Limited and Mineral Waters of Fiji have been sent home as the new tax structure makes it highly unprofitable for the industry to bottle water.
The Interim government has imposed a 20 cents per litre export duty on all the mineral water exports and a 20 cents per litre excise duty on mineral water sold locally.
Attempts to speak to Interim Finance Minister Mahendra Chaudhry in the last hour proved futile. Join Fijivillage news tomorrow for developments on this story.
Bottled Water Industry Stops Production
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