Prior to the beginning of Government’s financial year, Deputy Prime Minister Professor Biman Prasad says traders took it upon themselves to increase the price for chicken, despite getting a duty protection of 42 per cent.
Speaking in Parliament, the Minister for Finance said the Government’s policy has not changed – but we cannot hold 800,000 people to ransom by increasing the price of chicken in an unscrupulous manner because they employ approximately 2000 people.
Prof Prasad said Government will take action on those dealing in bad faith – and businesses will be held to account for unscrupulous dealings.
“The actual price of about 230 items went down because, post COVID-19, freight costs were coming down. For example, with chicken products, even with the protection of 42 per cent, some traders who were importing chicken portions, wings and other products with the payment of 42 per cent duty, were still able to sell it at a lower price than what was being supplied by the local producers.”
“These kinds of situation continue to happen.”
Prof Prasad said the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service is closely monitoring that budget policies are passed down to ordinary Fijians.
“I call upon all the traders and retailers, to do the right thing in bringing prices down, making sure that they do it in an ethical manner.”
He said they are also looking at the FCCC Act – to deter some and issue penalty for bad dealers who think and feel that they can just do whatever they want to.
