The Interim Attorney General and acting interim Finance Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said the import duty on items had been increased to target import substitution and to protect the local industry.
Although there have been a number of criticisms on why the duty has been increased on items not produced in Fiji, Sayed-Khaiyum said tough decisions need to be made to reduce the Import Bill.
Sayed-Khaiyum also said the interim government is now encouraging people to go into commercial agriculture as the imports of agricultural products continue to rise.
Some of the items where the tariff band will increase from 27 to 32 percent include imported Chicken, imported beef, pork shrimps, prawns, turkey, hams and other processed meats, imported butter, eggs, tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, corned meat of sheep or lamb, imported biscuits, citrus fruits, peanut butter, imported undergarments, motor vehicles, heavy machinery and metal, and wooden furniture.
Duty Increased To Reduce Import Bill
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