Restructure the tariff band that came into effect in 2008 and 2009 to help ease the cost of living for the consumers.
Consumer Council of Fiji Chief Executive Officer Premila Kumar said this is one of the concerns the council has raised in their second submission to the Government which focuses on consumers’ interests.
Kumar said they have particularly asked the Government for a tariff restructure because the council has seen that the cost of living for 2008 was not accommodating the consumers.
Kumar said that items that fell under the 3% duty category increased to 5% which included food items like wheat products, fresh and preserved meat, fruit, and tea.
Education and medical fees also fell under this category which increased by 0.4%.
She added in 2009 all items that fell under the 27% duty band increased to 32%.
She said this means that duty on clothes increased from 27% to 32% in 2009 where consumers had to pay 32% duty with an added 15% VAT that pushed the price of clothes extremely high.
Finance Minister, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum will deliver the 2015 National Budget next Friday.
