Slows: Taxes

Fiji Development

Go Higher

From a Suva Correspondent Fiji was hit with higher taxes, aimed at bringing another

£F900,000 to the Government,

in the budget tabled in the Legis lative Council on November 18.

I>EER, spirits, wines, tobacco and cigarettes, sugar and petrol, will all cost more, and in addition there will be a general rise on most goods because of an increase in the Port and Customs Service Tax of li per cent., bringing the total tax to 5 per cent. This service tax applies to all imports, but flour and sharps won’t be included.

And if that isn’t enough for one budget, income tax, surtax and com pany tax will all have a surcharge of 5 per cent. It will not apply to the basic tax.

The new increases raise cigarette prices by 2d for 10, beer by Id a glass or 3d a bottle, spirits by 2/- a bottle, wines by 10/- a gallon, and petrol by Id per gallon.

Loan Request

Mr, H. P. Ritchie, the Financial Secretary, is budgeting for revenue of £12,814,000, and expenditure of £14,137,000 in the recurrent budget, leaving a deficit of £1,323,000.

On the capital side, estimated revenue is £3,590,000 and expenditure £4,620,000, leaving a deficit of £1,030,000.

Mr. Ritchie told the council that he hoped Fiji’s request from Aus tralia for a Government loan of £3,650,000 would be granted next year, but he could not be certain that it would be granted. The possibility of British Government loans were “most unlikely”.

Mr. Ritchie said that proposed government expenditure in 1967 had been reduced by about £Boo,ooo— easy decision to make”.

The Governor, Sir Derek Jakeway, told the council that the pace of de velopment was going to drop “from a gallop to a canter” but it was cer tainly not coming to a halt. There were many encouraging signs, includ ing clear evidence that the Fiji economy had become more diversi fied.