The Fiji Retailers' Association says the new telecommunication charges to be introduced in June will discourage business expansion.
The Fiji Times reports telephone call costs will increase by an average of 350 percent while line rental costs will go up more than 700 percent.
Businesses will be required to pay for each minute of telephone use during peak times and for each five-minutes at other times.
The Association president, Himmat Lodhia, says the costs will place restrictions on his members.
"They cannot be more open-minded about their business, they cannot use telephones as the important media anymore and now they have to probably resort to their own legs again to communicate or maybe we use the Tom-tom signals again."
The Fiji Retailers' Association President, Himmat Lodhia.
