Reforms to improve ranking

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Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Premila Kumar. Picture: RAMA/FILE

THERE are plans in motion for Fiji to achieve a ranking of 50 by the 2025 Ea se of Doing Business Report.

Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Premila Kumar made the statement in her explanation on the Business Licence Reform that came into effect on January 1.

Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Ms Kumar said under the digital transformation program the ministry was mandated to implement reforms in “Ease of Doing Business”, to ensure business processes are revitalised.

Ms Kumar said as per the 2020 Ease of Doing Business (EODB) Report released in October 2019, Fiji had dropped a rank from 101 to 102.

However she said it was worth noting that while Fiji’s rank had gone down, the Doing Business Score had improved, by 0.35, as compared with a 0.04 improvement in the 2019 EODB Report.

“This is an indication that reforms have taken place for doing business, but it is not as fast as other countries participating in the EODB process.

“Mr Speaker Sir, it is worth noting that despite the various reforms that were undertaken in 2019, which included the launch of the bizFIJI portal, which provided one stop information on starting a business and obtaining construction permits, registration of companies being brought online and launch of the Personal Properties Register, Fiji’s doing business ranking slipped in the 2020 Ease of Doing Business Report,” she said.

Meanwhile Ms Kumar said other Pacific Island Countries (PICs) had dropped at a faster rate, with Samoa down 8 ranks, from 90 to 98, Tonga from 91 to 103 and Vanuatu from 94 to 107.

“It is also worth noting that Fiji is the second-best Pacific Island Country, to do business in.”

According to Ms Kumar Fiji’s ranking had dropped because reforms had not been noted as reforms for the 2020 Report as the World Bank Group Doing Business Reports covers only reforms that have taken place before April/May of the year.

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