Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Lawrence Kumar

Business owners claim public confidence in the government is on shaky ground, as concerns emerge over whether Fijians were misled over fuel prices.

Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Lawrence Kumar asked, “Who played who?” pointing to earlier government reassurances that fuel prices would remain stable until May.

Kumar says businesses are expressing frustration over the sudden hike, noting that it will significantly impact consumers and households.

He highlighted that kerosene up 71 cents from $1.69 to $2.40 a litre – a 42 percent increase, will hit low-income families particularly hard, as many rely on it for daily cooking.

He also says the impact on small, micro, and medium enterprises, which make up a significant share of the economy will be particularly hard as they are already operating at or below break-even levels.

Kumar claims that rising fuel costs will inevitably lead to higher transportation fares and increased prices for goods and services.

He also says it will place an added strain on key sectors such as construction, where fuel represents a major operational expense.

Kumar also notes that many businesses had forecasted and planned their operations based on earlier government statements that there would be no price hike, and the sudden increase would disrupt their plans.

“The question that the people are actually asking right now is, who played who? Did the government play the people? Or did the FCCC play the government? Or is it just that an early April fool’s joke has been put out in the market?”

He is now calling on the government to implement immediate relief measures, including a reduction or temporary waiver of the 20 cents per litre fuel tax, pointing out that other countries have taken similar steps to cushion citizens from sudden price shocks.

While broader tax adjustments, such as VAT reductions, could be considered in the upcoming national budget, Kumar says urgent action is needed now to ease pressure on households and businesses.