The Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (Revenue & Customs) Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Visvanath Das is encouraging people in the outer islands to report any suspicious activities out at Sea / Land to Customs.

This is after several parcels of brown packages proved to be Cocaine contained within were discovered on separate occasions in the Lau group.

Mr. Visvanath Das reiterated that Customs Officers have vast powers under the Customs Act and other laws of Fiji in relation to our borders, which Fijians need to be aware of and not hesitate to call Customs if they come across any suspicious discoveries / activities out at Sea / Land.

“Once again the people of Lau Group played a vital role in informing Revenue and Customs when the packages were discovered on the island. We commend the efforts of the Islanders and the Turaga Ni Koro for contacting us,” Mr. Das said.

“With the assistance of the Fiji Navy and New Zealand Naval Vessel Taupo, the Revenue and Customs Maritime Surveillance team successfully brought the packages to the Naval base last week and handed it over to Fiji Police for further investigations,” he said.

Mr. Das said people in the outer islands need to be vigilant and inform Customs of any suspicious activities on island shores.

To date, a total of 40 packages containing bars of Cocaine have been discovered on the Lau Group island shores with a value of more than AUD$20million.

“We are working closely with border agencies on a national and international level for the purpose of strengthening Maritime Surveillance of our border and the region and we need the support of the people to protect our way of life,” Mr, Das said.

Revenue and Customs is also reaching out to other islands that are part of our Coastal Watch program for assistance and the general public to report any illegal or suspicious activities to Customs on 990 9065/ 324 3000 or our hotline 1326.

“Together with stakeholders we are going to great lengths to protect our borders. It is also your responsibility as a citizen of this country to help Fiji grow and report any illegal/criminal activities at our borders,” Mr. Das added.

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The Revenue and Customs Service is encouraging members of the public to request for fiscalised receipts for goods and services from those group of businesses who are regulated to issue such receipts.

These businesses include Hardware Companies, Accounting Firms, Medical Practitioners, Travel Agencies, Law Firms, Supermarkets and Pharmacies.
Under the Tax Administration (Electronic Fiscal Device) Regulations 2017, all accredited vendors should issue a fiscal invoice/receipt to a customer. The Revenue and Customs Service will soon be issuing notices to businesses to display near their POS systems, stating that they are regulated and should be issuing fiscal receipts.

“Customers shopping at supermarkets and pharmacies which have been fiscalised, should receive the new fiscalised receipts which has a QR code allowing the receipt to be scanned and verified. We urge customers to scan and verify their receipts using the FRCS Receipt Verificator app. You can download the app on your smartphone. It is free of charge and available on Google Play or Apple Store,” the CEO said.

“Those businesses that do not currently fall within either group are also welcome to come on board earlier, if they have appropriate systems in place and wish to do so. It will be a requirement in the near future that all business will need to be complaint.”

A free Point of Sale (POS) application is also made available by Revenue and Customs and is compatible with smart phones and tablets (Android and IOS phones) and can be used by small businesses. However, this is only ideal for small businesses.

The VAT Monitoring System (VMS) was launched in 2017 and to date the Revenue and Customs has accredited 16 POS systems and external sale devices.

The full details of these suppliers can be downloaded from our website https://www.frcs.org.fj/our-services/vat-monitoring-system-vms/accredited-pos-esdc/.

Businesses who need assistance with becoming compliant can refer to the Step by Step Instruction Guide which is also available on our website www.frcs.org.fj.

We also encourage consumers to call our hotline on 1326 to report cases where they do not receive fiscalized receipts and provide the names of businesses as well as a copy of the receipts or invoices received. Taxpayers can also email their complaints and receipts on EFDcompliance@frcs.org.fj

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The Fiji Revenue and Customs Service is the first organization in the Fiji and the South Pacific to receive an Anti-Corruption Policy from the Fiji Independent Commission against Corruption (FICAC). The policy which was received on Friday also sets the platform on how the Revenue and Customs is pro-active towards its operations.

While receiving the Anti-Corruption Policy, Chief Executive Officer Mr. Visvanath Das said that this event re-confirms the step Revenue and Customs is taking towards its world class journey.

“The role we play in the Fijian economy is critical. We raise about 90 to 95 percent of total government revenue that funds government expenditure and therefore it is critical that tax and customs officials are of highest caliber and standards.”

“We are working towards being a world class organization. We need to have certain values to take us to that level. World class means having highest level of values and integrity”, Mr. Das said.

“Our sincere gratitude and appreciation to (FICAC for training our officers and providing them with basic information and tools to fight corruption in the organization”.

FICAC Principal Corruption Prevention Officer Ms. Arti Naidu congratulated FRCS on this milestone achievement which makes them the first not just in Fiji, but in the South Pacific region.

“Today you have sent out a very strong message not only to your partners but also to your stakeholders what it is you stand for and how you see ethical leadership,” she affirmed.

“It actually shows that you’re proactive about what is happening here, how your operations are done and that you’d like to put in measures before things go wrong.”

She encouraged the FRCS staff and management to take the Anti-Corruption Policy and not just live it by example but to be the example and set the benchmark really high for other organizations.

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The Fiji Revenue and Customs Service received information that there were bars found on an Island in the Lau group believed to contain illicit drugs.

Upon receiving the information, Revenue and Customs in collaboration with Fiji Police and the Fiji Navy ensured the securing of these bars from the island.
A total of 31 bars weighing 40 kilograms were retrieved and secured and after testing were confirmed to be Cocaine. The value of these illicit drug is estimated to be worth AUD$20 million.

“We commend the efforts of the people of the Island and those who ensured that Revenue and Customs was immediately alerted about the drugs found on the Island,” Revenue and Customs Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Visvanath Das said.

“It is this kind of partnership we would like to establish with Islands around Fiji and villagers along the coastline through our Coast Watch initiative which we launched in January this year,” Mr, Das said.

“Surveillance in coastal communities and seas are an ongoing challenge for Customs, however, with such assistance and cooperation from Islanders and villagers, we can aim to protect our borders from illicit trade,” he said.

Mr. Das also reiterated the importance of contacting Customs first in relation to such cases.

“Report any illegal or suspicious activities to Customs on 9925764/ 3243000 or our hotline 1326,” Mr. Das said.

The Commissioner of Police Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho said information was received of the find whereby all stakeholders worked together to secure the drugs.

“The actions by the people of the Island is truly commendable and we are grateful to have members of the community who are willing to assist our efforts in the war against drugs”.

“The drugs are now in our custody and we will be working closely with the Fiji Navy and Customs throughout the investigation process”.

The drugs are now under Police custody.

Police investigations continue.

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Following a search by Customs in Savusavu of a New Zealand based yacht, the Captain and two crew-members are now in Police Custody.

The search by Customs Officers led to the seizure of a large quantity of a mix of different ammunition types.

 “Customs is the first point of contact for all travel and transit at our borders and we take this responsibility seriously. Yet again our intelligence and profiling processes are determining high risk vessels and collaborative efforts with our partners the Fiji Police and Navy has led to this successful seizure”. Revenue and Customs Chief Executive officer, Mr. Visvanath Das said.

“Just last weekend we discovered a massive drug find on an Australian based yacht and once again our officers dutifully exposed another smuggling attempt,” Mr. Das said.

“I commend the collaboration of the relevant Border Enforcement Agencies for their efforts in ensuring that our borders are safe,” he said.

“We will continue to work with local Border Agencies and Customs partners in New Zealand and Australia to ensure we continue to develop best practice processes and procedures to combat illegal trade,” he added.

The Commissioner of Police Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho said Fiji continues to quash the notion that a small Pacific Island nation will not be able to effectively police its borders.

“The latest joint operation is again bringing to the forefront the effectiveness of the inter-agency collaboration between law enforcement agencies both here in Fiji and with international law enforcement partners”.

“The latest seizures and interceptions made at our points of entry shows the increased level of collaboration between all agencies involved, and we continue to look at ways to improve the status quo so that those involved in these illegal trades will know that our borders are being monitored”.

Police investigations continue.

For more information, call Revenue and Customs Manager Marketing, Irene Miller on 9926170 and Police Media, Ana Naisoro on 9905999.

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A joint operation by Fiji Revenue and Customs Service, Fiji Police, Biosecurity Authority of Fiji and Health Department led to seizure of 13 bars of Cocaine weighing 15 Kilograms and Ecstasy tablets with an estimated value of USD$10 – 15 million.

The yacht searched by Customs and other Border Law Enforcement Agencies at Denarau Port this afternoon came from Borabora, French Polynesia. 

It is also confirmed that US$15,000.00 undeclared currency, guns and ammunitions have been detained from the yacht.

“I applaud the collaboration and efforts of our officers in successfully intercepting illicit drugs, undeclared currency and weapons,” Revenue and Customs Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Visvanath Das said.

 “This seizure is a testament of our commitment to protect our borders and ensuring our country is safe,” Mr. Das said.

“Let this be a reminder to those planning to use Fiji to carry out such illicit trade,” he added.

“The collaboration between stakeholders continues to strengthen and the seizure is a testament of this,” Acting Commissioner of Police Rusiate Tudravu said.

“We are not going to allow anyone to think they can come in and out of our borders and use it as a transit point or a destination to execute their illegal dealings and this should send a strong warning to others that we have a close eye on our borders,” he said.

The yacht has been seized and will be forfeited to the State. Four crew members are now in Police Custody.

Police investigations continue.

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The Chief Executive Officer of Fiji Revenue & Customs Service (FRCS), Mr Visvanath Das and the Director of Fiji Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) Mr Razim Buksh met this week and discussed opportunities to further strengthen tax and customs compliance and fraud investigations. They discussed the need for stronger collaboration and networking between the two agencies in relation to profiling of suspected tax evaders, investigation of trade-based money laundering involving incorrect declaration of the value of goods, and related financial crimes.

Mr Buksh said that in 2017, the FIU issued 317 intelligence case dissemination reports involving $220 million to the FRCS for suspected tax crimes (tax evasion, duty evasions, and customs related violations), money laundering activities and other fraudulent and financial crimes. Mr Buksh further said that FRCS was the largest beneficiary of FIU’s intelligence representing more than 70 percent of its proactive “whistle-blower” reports. In 2017, FIU information was used by FRCS to investigate an additional 1,279 individuals and businesses involved in tax and customs violation cases.

Mr Visvanath Das said that FIU referral reports play an important role in uncovering fraudulent acts where businesses are not paying its fair share taxes. The various disseminated reports from FIU are analysed and further referred to the respective teams for a full Audit and Investigation to commence. In 2017, total tax and penalties assessed as a result of the various FIU referrals amounts to $6.6 million whereby 21 percent of it were assessed to businesses dealing in the wholesale and retail of Motor Vehicles.

Mr Das said that FRCS and the FIU have built a strong partnership on information exchange and capacity building. Currently two FRCS officers are based with the FIU on a fulltime secondment.

Both agencies have acknowledged that while the overall culture of tax compliance in Fiji is improving, authorities will come down hard on dishonest individuals and businesses that violate their tax obligations.

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