Joel Abraham, a senior advisor at the Asia-Pacific Regulatory Centre (APRC), has warned that Fiji is more likely to face a fuel price shock than an actual shortage of supply and urged regulators, households and businesses to prepare for price volatility as global tensions unsettle oil markets.
Abraham, speaking as the APRC steps up monitoring of global oil markets, said the immediate domestic risk is rising pump prices rather than disruptions to shipments. He pointed to a recent press statement from the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC) that supply chains and shipping remain operational, but said transparency around pricing and robust local oversight will be essential to limit economic harm. “Now, Fiji will face more of a price shock rather than a supply shock,” he said.
He singled out the FCCC and the Consumer Council of Fiji as critical institutions during periods of international uncertainty. According to Abraham, collecting baseline price data, monitoring movements in wholesale and retail margins, and ensuring public access to verified pricing information will help prevent unjustified price rises—especially for goods and services not covered by formal price controls. The APRC is analysing different pricing scenarios and compiling research to support such regulatory work, he added.
Abraham also warned of the destabilising effect of false reports circulating on social media. Fake claims of fuel shortages or imminent steep price hikes, he said, could prompt panic buying that disrupts supply chains and creates avoidable scarcity. He urged consumers to rely on official sources and verified reporting to guide their purchasing decisions.
For households and businesses, Abraham advised against drastic changes to spending or abrupt cutbacks in consumption. While higher fuel bills may squeeze budgets, sudden reductions in demand could place additional strain on small and medium-sized enterprises already coping with higher operating costs. Instead, he encouraged continued patronage of local enterprises, including women-led and indigenous-owned businesses, to keep money circulating in the domestic economy.
Abraham said the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how quickly unexpected global events can cascade into domestic economic crises and called for stronger contingency planning across both the public and private sectors. He urged governments and firms to broaden their risk assessments to cover geopolitical conflict, trade disruptions, natural disasters and supply chain bottlenecks, and to update emergency and business continuity plans accordingly.
The APRC, Abraham said, is prepared to provide research and policy guidance to the Fijian government to help mitigate the economic impact of fuel price volatility and to bolster readiness among households and businesses. His intervention comes after airlines in the region, including Fiji Airways, announced operational adjustments in recent months tied to fuel availability and logistics—an example, he said, of why timely data and coordinated regulatory responses matter now more than ever.
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