Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has sought to reassure Fijians that the nation has sufficient fuel supplies even as households and businesses face rising pump prices driven by global market turmoil. As of April 19, Fiji had about 45 million litres of fuel on land, with an additional 22 million litres expected to arrive before the end of the month, Rabuka said in a statement released this week. That brings April’s available supply to roughly 67 million litres — close to half of national storage capacity.
Rabuka warned, however, that stocks will decline through the end of April under normal consumption patterns. At around 2.5 million litres of fuel used daily, he said Fiji’s onshore inventory is projected to draw down to about 40 million litres — roughly 29 percent of storage capacity — by April 30. The government expects supplies to rebound in May: fuel suppliers have committed to delivering about 118 million litres next month, which would lift national stocks back to over 59 percent of storage capacity once discharged.
The prime minister emphasised the problem facing consumers is price, not physical availability. “This is not a fuel shortage crisis. This is a global price crisis,” Rabuka said, pointing to the war in the Middle East and disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz as drivers of the recent spike in international fuel costs. He noted fuel is purchased in US dollars and that global price rises are passed through to domestic markets — a factor that prompted the independent price regulator, the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC), to increase local fuel prices on April 1. Rabuka added that another price adjustment is anticipated in May.
In response, Cabinet on April 21 approved the redeployment of FJ$56 million (US$39.95 million) within the existing 2025–2026 Budget to help households, businesses and essential services cope with higher energy costs. Rabuka stressed this is not new borrowing but a reprioritisation of funds from delayed projects to provide immediate relief. “Our focus is simple: protect livelihoods, maintain essential services, and support the most…” his statement said, outlining the purpose of the reallocated funds.
The government’s update gives firmer detail to a developing picture first flagged in March, when authorities and market watchers warned Pacific import-dependent nations such as Fiji could feel the impact of tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and broader Middle East. At that time officials emphasised contingency plans and close monitoring; the latest figures supply concrete short-term stock projections and a delivery timetable that underpins the government’s assurance there is no supply shortage.
What happens over the next month will be decisive. The arrival and successful discharge of the pledged 118 million litres in May will lift storage back to more comfortable levels, but local prices will remain tied to volatile international markets and FCCC pricing decisions. The government says it will continue to monitor supply chains and global developments, while the redeployed FJ$56 million is intended to soften the immediate impact on vulnerable households and critical sectors until market pressures ease.