Fiji's"Bermudan" Duty Angers Chamber

of Commerce

THE Suva Chamber of Commerce wants the Government of Fiji to eliminate the “iniquitous duty” on freight charges. Whenever there is an increase in freight charges—recently a 15 per cent, in crease was imposed on British freights to Fiji—an automatic in crease in duty follows.

This has a spiralling effect on costs, and the public eventually has to “fork out.”

According to Mr. K. Withering ton, the method of assessing duty was introduced by a former Comp troller of Customs, who followed a procedure which operated in Ber muda.

Mr. Witherington moved that the Government be asked to give con sideration to amending the Customs ordinance.

His motion was carried.

The Chamber also adopted a sug gestion by Mr. Lawlor that repre sentations be made to the shipping companies to see if Fiji was not paying above its fair share of the England-New Zealand freight—apart from the latest increase. He sug gested this was a matter which could be examined by represent atives of the larger firms.

This “duty on freight” is some thing worthy of Treasurer Reeves, of the P-NG Administration, who has a reputation for sitting up nights thinking of new means of wringing the last penny from so called untaxed Territorians. For a country like Fiji, which already has income-tax, “iniquitous” just about describes it.

In most countries, duty is accessed on a f.o.b. price. Fiji levies duty on landed-cost; and you cannot escape it, either, by sending goods by parcels post; the cost of the stamps is added and duty accessed.