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Fijians need to understand that decisions by other countries in response to the Russia-Ukraine war affect the prices of goods in Fiji.

The Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission says since February, the war has disrupted the world’s supply chain by driving up the cost of fuel and creating a scarcity of grains and fertilizer.

FCCC Chief Executive, Joel Abraham says Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has increased the prices of basic commodities, mostly due to high freight costs.

“Russia is the 2nd largest supplier of oil to the world, supplying 11% of the world’s oil. Global oil prices rose to above USD $113 a barrel after Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine, hitting triple digits for the first time since 2014 and in recent reviews refined fuel prices have been soaring.”

Abraham says Fiji cannot control any of these factors, nor can Fijian businesses.

“We as price takers in a global market and are impacted by all these factors. Doing the right thing is not always popular and in this instance, the right thing to do was to increase fares and prices. We will continue to question any proposed increase in efforts to protect Fijian consumers while ensuring that Fijian businesses that provide employment remain sustainable.”

Bus fares and the prices of bread, FMF Breakfast cracker biscuits, and flour will increase from Friday.

The bus fare will rise by 36.3 percent for all stages.