Shania Shayal Prasad 
The Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission is struggling to maintain consistent enforcement across the country due to limited manpower.
FCCC Chief Executive Senikavika Jiuta revealed that of the 86 staff, only 20 serve as enforcement officers.
This figure she believes is far from adequate to cover the entire nation.
Juita says shortage of staff is especially challenging during busy periods.
“And when it comes to major inspections, say, for instance, the Easter inspections, I have to haul the whole staff out to ensure that everybody’s out on the ground during these Easter inspections.”
Manager Pricing Policy and Planning Akeneta Vonoyauyau states that the FCCC cannot maintain regular coverage in many outer islands due to constraints.
“So, we rely on our historical inspection trend to target these inspection schedule set. It’s not like only for certain times, but we have scheduled these along our work plan for annual period.”
Vonoyauyau hopes that the upcoming budget will enhance consumer protection and ensure a more effective and responsive service.
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