The president of the Lautoka Market Vendors Association, Filomena O’Neil, is urging the government to reconsider a proposed amendment regarding penalties for businesses. O’Neil highlighted valid concerns from the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation that small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) would be particularly harmed by a proposed maximum fine of $500,000 and potential prison sentences of up to 20 years.
She emphasized that many MSMEs are run by rural individuals for whom this business serves as their primary income source, stating, “If they face a fine like that, it will destroy them. This also discourages them from expanding their businesses. Why would people want to go into business if they know that something like this could happen to them?”
O’Neil called for further discussions involving MSME representatives in the legislative review process. Likewise, Suva Market Vendors Association secretary Ilisapeci Viriki argued that penalties should be proportional to the income of each business, stating, “You can’t compare the big businesses to the MSMEs.”
Meanwhile, the Suva Chamber of Commerce and Industries plans to review the proposed legislation before issuing any public comments. Chamber president Jitesh Patel indicated he had not seen the document yet, acknowledging the concerns raised by FCEF and stating he would need to analyze the proposed bill before making any remarks.
Manoa Kamikamica, the Minister for Trade, Cooperatives, SMEs, and Communications, who is currently on an official trip to Australia, acknowledged he is aware of the concerns and has plans to meet with the FCEF upon his return to discuss the issues raised.
According to the Ministry of Trade, the MSME sector contributes over 18 percent of Fiji’s GDP and employs about 60 percent of the country’s workforce. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 29,000 MSMEs were registered with the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service, contributing nearly $380 million in taxes.