The Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS) has announced the appointment of two new members to its Board of Directors, Mr. Nitin Gandhi and Mr. Jitoko Tikolevu. Mr. Gandhi and Mr. Tikolevu have been appointed in accordance with Section 4 of the FRCS Act 1998 for 3 years effective from 16th July 2024.

FRCS’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Udit Singh welcomed the new Directors to the FRCS Board.

“The new Board of Directors have valuable expertise and perspectives that will help provide effective strategic direction and oversight to FRCS,” Mr Singh stated.

“Their diverse talent and expertise will enhance the strength and impact of our board and our ability to achieve our strategic objectives as we work towards being a world-class revenue service delivering excellence in revenue collection, border protection, trade and travel facilitation.”

Mr. Tikolevu was the former Fiji High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK) from 2016 to 2023. He was also the CEO of the Fiji Revenue and Customs Authority (now Fiji Revenue and Customs Service) from 2007 to 2015 and the Deputy Board Chair of the Fiji Development Bank (FDB) and the Investment Fiji until December 2015.

He has obtained a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Business Studies from the University of the South Pacific (USP) and a Masters in Taxation degree from the University of Auckland.

“I am looking forward to contributing and working together with the current FRCS Board,” Mr. Tikolevu stated.

Mr. Gandhi is a Chartered Accountant and the former managing partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). He is also a fellow of the Australia and the New Zealand Charted Accountants, former president of the Fiji Institute of Charted Accountants, an accredited mediator, former president of the Fiji Red Cross Society and a current member of the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) Audit and Risk Commission in Geneva.

He has over 38 years of experience providing professional services mainly in assurance, taxation and advisory to numerous businesses in Fiji and regional countries across multiple industries including tourism, aviation, energy, manufacturing, retail, agriculture and financial services.

While accepting the appointment of FRCS Board Director, Mr. Gandhi noted the challenges facing FRCS in its reforms and administrative systems.

“There is a need to embrace globalisation and digitalisation to ensure FRCS serves its customer base in the most efficient and fairest way. Modernising tax compliance and developing systems accordingly would be key to the economic development of the country,” he stated.

Last Updated - July 30, 2024

The Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS) has announced the appointment of two new members to its Board of Directors, Ms. Nancy Tikoisuva and Dr. Neelesh Gounder. Ms. Tikoisuva and Dr. Gounder have been appointed in accordance with Section 4 of the FRCS Act 1998 for 3 years effective from 25^th July 2023.

FRCS’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Malakai Naiyaga welcomed the highly talented individuals to the Board of Directors of FRCS.

“The new Board of Directors have valuable expertise and perspectives that will help provide effective strategic direction and oversight to FRCS,” Mr Naiyaga said.  The appointments are also reflective of youth, energy and balance which are required to support the processes and services transformation tasks FRCS is undertaking.

Ms. Tikoisuva is a Legal Practitioner with the law firm, Toganivalu Legal and simultaneously works as an External Academic with the University of the South Pacific (USP) and as a National Consultant with the Food Agricultural Organisation (FAO).

She obtained her Bachelor of Law (LLB) in 2003, Masters in Law (LLM) in 2022 from USP and was admitted to the bar in 2004.  Ms. Tikoisuva has 18 years of legal experience. She has served in the area of prosecution, specializing in serious financial crimes, money laundering and asset forfeiture as well as in private legal practice in civil litigation. Ms. Tikoisuva also conducts community legal awareness in child and environmental protection and domestic violence.

Additionally, Ms. Tikoisuva is a Board Director with the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji and Leadership Fiji.

“I thank the Fijian Government for the opportunity to serve on the Board. It is a huge responsibility that I will not take lightly, and I hope to do justice to this position,” Ms. Tikoisuva said.

Dr Gounder is a Senior Lecturer in Economics and the Deputy Head of School (Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Affairs) with the School of Accounting, Finance and Economics at USP. He has a Ph.D. in Economics from the Griffith University in Australia. Dr. Gounder is also a Centre Associate at the Development Policy Centre, Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University.

He was one of the members of the Fiscal Review Committee appointed by the Fiji Government to review the government’s revenue and expenditure strategies and policies and to provide recommendations for strengthening the fiscal framework.

“I thank the Minister for Finance for this appointment and look forward to contributing to the important work of the FRCS Board,” Dr Gounder said.

Last Updated - August 2, 2023