FIJI - An Overview
Fiji is situated in the South Pacific, approximately 3100 km northeast of Sydney, 2100 km north of Auckland and 5100 km southwest of Honolulu. The capital of the country is Suva, a city situated on the southeastern coast of Viti Levu. The other city is Lautoka, situated on the northwestern coast of Viti Levu. The population of Fiji in 1996 was provisionally estimated at 772,665 with Indian, Chinese and mixed race communities present as well as Indigenous Fijians. The official language is English.

Land
Most land in Fiji is in Native Title (87%) which can be leased through the Native Land Trust Board (NLTB). The freehold land in the country is subject to the Torrens System and the Land Transfer Act.

Political Set-Up
Fiji is a Republic with a 71-member Lower House and a 34-member Senate.

The Economy
The economy has been largely dependent on the production and export of sugar. However, tourism is now the principal earner in the economy. The manufacture and export of garments under the government's taxation concessions for certain industries also produces substantial earnings while other major exports include unrefined gold, timber and coconut oil.

The economy is based on private enterprise, with government ownership of service utilities and Fiji enjoys excellent telecommunications, air and shipping links with the rest of the world.

The Government offers a number of incentives, including tax holidays to encourage investment in the country. More details on this is available on the Fiji Trade & Investment Board Website (LINK).

The Government levies a number of taxes including corporate tax (34%), personal income tax (top rate 34%), dividend withholding tax (10%-20%) and VAT at 10%. Custom duties and stamp duty are also payable. Fiji has double taxation treaties with a number of countries.

The Fiji Dollar (currently approximately 44c US) is a controlled currency but genuine remittances are routinely approved by the Reserve Bank (RBF). The RBF approves foreign shareholdings in Fiji companies and further information on its role in the economy is available on the RBF website (LINK).