No Consultation with the People, Says Fiji Labour Party

The Fiji Labour Party has raised concerns over electricity tariff increases approved by the Fiji Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC), saying the decision was made without proper consultation with the public or the business community.

The new electricity rates are scheduled to come into effect from 1 January 2026.

The FCCC has approved a tariff increase for Energy Fiji Ltd (EFL) ranging from 1 to 2 cents per unit for domestic consumers, depending on usage.

Consumers using between 101 and 300 units per month will pay an additional 1 cent per unit, while those using more than 301 units per month will face an increase of 2 cents per unit.

New rates have also been announced for the business and commercial sector. Labour said businesses it has spoken to dispute FCCC’s claims that consultations were carried out, stating they were not engaged before the decision was announced.

In a letter to FCCC Chief Executive Senikavika Jiuta, Labour Leader Mahendra Chaudhry said the Commission failed to follow established procedures.

“In keeping with past practice, a decision should only be made on an application after public submissions have been considered,” Mr Chaudhry said.

“In our view, it is wrong for the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission to announce increases as an extension of Energy Fiji’s earlier application in 2023, which had been rejected.”

Mr Chaudhry said EFL should have submitted a fresh application, which should then have gone through the normal process of public notification and submissions before any increase was approved.

The Fiji Labour Party said businesses are apprehensive about the impact of higher electricity costs on their operations, warning that the increases are likely to be passed on to consumers, resulting in higher prices for goods and services.