Regime wants to appeal VAT judgment

Issue No: 1040; 27 August 2001

 
The Qarase regime lawyers want to appeal the High Curt judgment declaring the VAT decree illegal.

The regime's Attorney-General Alipate Qetaki has been quoted by the media as saying that the regime will appeal the decision despite fact that the Solicitor-General's Office is still studying the judgment.

Today's Fiji Times reports:
"ATTORNEY -GENERAL Alipate Qetaki said the interim administration will appeal against a decision by Justice Anthony Gates to suspend VAT from essential food items."

'"We have studied his decision and there are good grounds for appeal," he said."

"Mr Qetaki said the Solicitor-General's Office is studying the full context of Justice Gates ruling to determine its counter action."

"He said the judgment was an attempt to influence the political process."

"In his judgment delivered on Friday, Justice Gates instructed that the $26million collected through VAT be directed towards suitable poverty alleviation programmes."

'"The decision is clearly of great assistance to the Fiji Labour Party at the expense of almost all other parties," Mr Qetaki said."

'"It is unfair to other political parties. He has awarded $6000 costs which was not even requested by the party which filed the injunction."'

'"The comments made, the language used and the decision itself can be seen as an interference in the political process by a High Court judge," he said."

"Mr Qetaki said since the introduction of VAT in 1992, there has been two governments which had not challenged the legality of VAT and as such, a High Court judge declaring it as legal is unfair."

"On Justice Gates decision for revenue collected from VAT be diverted to poverty alleviation programmes, Mr Qetaki said he has tried to dictate to parliament what should be done with the money."

'"We were always under the impression that a decision would be made after a elections," he said."

"The injunction was filed by deposed prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry, Fiji Labour Party president Jokapeci Koroi and former cabinet minister Doctor Ganesh Chand."

 

People's Coalition Government - Fiji Islands
Disclaimer
Webmaster
Last update: August 27, 2001