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The Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation says it will continue to push for reduced electricity tariffs as the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission begins public consultations from tomorrow.

While encouraging businesses to attend the public consultation sessions and make written submissions on the proposed electricity tariff increase, FCEF Chief Executive Edward Bernard says the Federation has received numerous concerns from businesses about the impact of the substantial increase.

Bernard says the suspension of the implementation of the tariff increase is a welcome development, and the Federation acknowledges the FCCC for this decision.

He adds that it is now important for businesses to have their views heard through attendance at the public consultations and by submitting their feedback in writing.

“The 34.7% average increase for commercial users will further elevate the costs of doing business in Fiji, with likely consequences for business expansion, investment decisions, and overall competitiveness.

He stresses that these pressures will be felt across all sectors, business sizes, ownership types, and geographic locations.

“This trajectory risks undermining national targets, including increasing MSME contribution to 22% and lifting investment to 20% of GDP by 2030.”

He says the FCEF is collating a consolidated submission and will seek a focused audience with the FCCC to present a submission on behalf of the private sector.

On December 19 last year, the FCCC announced electricity tariff increases, with residential customers using between 101 and above 300 kilowatt-hours expected to see an average increase of 4.5 percent.

Commercial customers, meanwhile, face an average increase of approximately 34.7 percent across four usage tiers.

The increased tariffs are intended to support Energy Fiji Limited’s $1.57 billion investment program over the next four years.

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