Constitutional Matters Newsletter
CCF publishes and releases monthly newsletters to keep people informed of new Decrees, changes under existing Decrees and legislations, judicial news and other significant legal developments in Fiji. For the month of June, there were significant changes to the legal framework in the month of June:
a. Biological and Toxin weapons Decree 2011– prohibits the development, production, manufacture, possession, stockpiling, other acquisition or retention, importation, exportation, re-exportation, transportation, transit, trans-shipment, transfer or use of certain biological agents and toxins and of biological weapons, and to implement in Fiji the Convention on the Prohibition of the development, production and stockpiling of bacteriological (biological) and toxin. The Decree also fulfilled Fiji’s obligations under the Convention and the Protocol on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction of 10 April 1972.
b. Capital Gains Tax Decree 2011 – This Decree imposes “capital gains tax” on a person who has made a capital gain, other than an exempt capital gain on the disposal of a capital asset. The capital gains tax that is payable by a person on the disposal of a capital asset is 10% of the amount of the capital gain arising on the disposal.
c. Scrap Metal Trade Decree 2011 – regulates the scrap metal trade in Fiji by setting up a licensing mechanism in place amongst other things under the Decree after the increasing number of scrap metal theft.
d. Public Emergency Regulations– continues to be in force since 10th April 2009 controlling the movement of every person, release of Press statements, publications and broadcast, every gathering of 3 or more persons, and meetings and/or procession in public places.