The Office of the Leader of the Opposition expresses its profound concern and absolute rejection of the “tiered” electricity tariff increase approved by the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC), set to take effect on 1 January 2026.

They say while the FCCC attempts to cloak this decision in the language of
“consumer protection,” we must call this what it truly is: a catalyst for a dangerous inflationary chain reaction that will hit the poorest Fijian households the hardest.

Opposition Leader Inia Seruiratu says the claim that 52% of domestic customers will see “no increase” because they use under 100 units is a calculated economic illusion.

Seruiratu says as Leader of the Opposition, he reminds the FCCC and the Coalition Government that electricity does not exist in a vacuum.

He says when they raise the cost of power for the commercial sector-the supermarkets, the food processors, the rice mills, and the bakers, they are effectively raising the price of every loaf of bread, every bag of rice, and every tin of fish on the supermarket shelf.

Seruirau says a family might pay the same for their lightbulb at night, but they will pay significantly more to put food on the table the next morning.

He adds that this is not protection; it is a hidden tax on the grocery basket of the
common man.

Seruiratu says with poverty in Fiji already upscaling to alarming levels, local businesses are already operating on razor-thin margins.