Pictured above are Fijian citizens. [File]

The Unity Fiji Party is adamant that its policies will moderate the country’s cost of living.

Leader Savenaca Narube says the cost of products that people purchase keeps increasing however, wages and salaries are not enough to cater to the soaring costs.

To ensure that Fijians take more money home, he says the party plans to increase the minimum wage rate to $5, raise the income threshold to $40,000 and reduce income taxes for those earning less than $50,000.

“We will use that price control mechanism to ask the fuel companies to shoulder some of the increase in fuel prices from abroad and we will also ask other companies that imports these things from abroad to Fiji to also shoulder some of the increase in prices, they will pass some to the consumers but until now they are passing everything to consumers.”

Unity Fiji Party Leader Savenaca Narube.

Narube adds that they will also decrease the income tax on customs duties and private sectors should also shoulder the price increase.

He claims that only consumers are bearing the increase in prices, which is unfair.

Meanwhile, former Permanent Secretary for Education and now Unity Fiji Party candidate, Ioane Tiko claims that the government accumulates a lot of expenses.

“One side, we are proclaiming that we are the only government that has made a tremendous profit over the years in comparable with any other government. How are we delivering it to the people?

The party believes that its Economic Transformation Program (ETP) rides on the backbone of our resources, and through relevant training, the program will narrow the income disparity among Fijians.