Establishment of FRCS Tax Compliance Taskforce
The Ministry of Finance, in coordination with the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS) has established an FRCS-led Tax Compliance Taskforce to prevent, detect and address tax evasion and avoidance as well as further strengthen tax compliance in Fiji.
Tax crimes are serious as they can negatively impact on revenue collection, undermine trust in the legal and financial system, and are also often linked to other serious crimes.
Chaired by the FRCS Board Member and a renowned and proficient Chartered Accountant, Mr. Nitin Gandhi, the Tax Compliance Taskforce aims to further strengthen tax compliance, prevent tax evasion, and enhance revenue collection through rigorous enforcement and collaborative efforts with relevant agencies and businesses
More specifically, the Taskforce will:
- Review and recommend improvements to existing legislation and processes.
- Review current processes and re-develop frameworks for investigating, enforcing and prosecuting undisclosed income and financial non-compliance.
- Collaborate with key agencies to address tax evasion and financial crimes.
- Utilize evidence-based information from various sources to support investigations
- Implement measures to protect revenue and ensure compliance with legal standards.
- Maintain strict data privacy and security protocols.
In addition to Mr. Gandhi, the other members of the Taskforce include former CEO of Fiji Revenue and Customs Authority (now FRCS), Mr. Jitoko Tikolevu, former acting Commissioner of Police, Mr. Rusiate Tudravu, anti-corruption and governance expert Mr. Avaneesh Anand Raman and risk and financial management expert, Mr. Pramesh Sharma.
The Taskforce has been appointed for an initial period of 12 months.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the Taskforce will take appropriate measures to ensure that the taxes owed are accurately collected through FRCS processes.
According to the FRCS CEO, Mr Udit Singh, the FRCS has all the baseline information on individual income.
More importantly, the Taskforce will operate in collaboration with, rather than supplanting, the role of the Commissioner of Tax under the FRCS Act, the Fiji Financial Intelligence Unit (FFIU), Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC), the Fiji Police Force, the Director of Public Prosecutions Office (DPP), and other relevant agencies,”. It will also collaborate with agencies of our international partners such as Australia and New Zealand
A framework is being developed for the Taskforce to have a defined structure and guidelines for operation and in the coming months they will also have a memorandum of understanding with other enforcement agencies.
Last Updated - December 11, 2024