Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has reaffirmed the independence of the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission following its announcement of a new electricity tariff.

He says the decision was made in line with the law and after a thorough technical and financial assessment of the electricity sector.

The FCCC this morning announced a 24.2 percent increase.

Rabuka says electricity pricing in Fiji falls squarely under the FCCC’s statutory mandate and reflects the operational needs of Energy Fiji Limited to ensure the reliability, safety and long-term sustainability of power supply.

He has stressed that despite Government being the majority shareholder in EFL, it does not interfere in regulatory pricing decisions.

The Prime Minister says respecting regulatory independence is vital to maintaining investor confidence, financial stability and the long-term viability of Fiji’s energy sector.

Rabuka notes that Fiji continues to record some of the lowest electricity tariffs in the Pacific, largely due to long-term investment in hydropower and sustained efforts to balance affordability with system reliability. However, he says maintaining these relatively low rates requires continued investment in electricity infrastructure.

With Fiji’s economy growing, the Prime Minister says demand for electricity is rising across households, businesses, tourism, industry and digital services. He adds that significant investment is needed to expand and modernise generation, transmission and distribution systems, particularly to support the shift to renewable and climate-resilient energy sources.

Rabuka has acknowledged that tariff adjustments can be difficult for consumers, but says key protection measures remain in place.

He confirms the Government continues to provide an electricity subsidy of 16.34 cents per kilowatt-hour to households earning $30,000 or less annually. He also points out that under the new tariff structure, around 52 percent of electricity consumers who use less than 100 kilowatt-hours per month will not see any increase in their bills.

The Prime Minister says a financially sustainable electricity system is critical to national development, energy security and Fiji’s transition to cleaner and more resilient energy sources.

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