The Attorney General’s outright rejection of NFP’s commitment to reduce Value Added Tax (VAT) from 15% to 10% confirms the current government’s anti-poor stance. It clear that this Government is only concerned about raking as much revenue as possible even if it means squeezing the pockets of the poor.
Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, while launching the Prime Minister’s Exporter of the Year Award, referred to NFP’s election promise to reduce VAT to 10% and mocked me saying being an “economist does not make one a good person for financial and commercial transaction”. Firstly Mr Sayed-Khaiyum should not become a political commentator. He is also the Minister Responsible for Elections. This re-enforces our belief that he should quit as Elections Minister after becoming the general secretary of the Fiji First Party if he wants to indulge in politics.