The Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation (FCEF) has warned that recovery from the current fuel disruption will be prolonged unless the government moves quickly to support businesses, as companies across the country begin to activate contingency plans learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.
FCEF chief executive Edward Bernard said members had already started shifting work arrangements — including working from home, reduced operational hours and scaled-back staffing — to cope with tighter fuel supplies and rising operating costs. “Businesses have started to activate their business continuity plans and have started to plan out what their pre-planned action will be to any changes in situation,” Bernard said, adding that those measures alone would not be sufficient to restore normal operations.
Bernard identified micro and small businesses as the most vulnerable, with some already cutting back operations. He urged the government to prioritise support for manufacturing firms that supply food and essential services, and for commodity extractors such as gold miners that employ substantial numbers of workers. “Government needs to prepare for not only the current situation but also how it will support businesses recover faster and stronger,” he said.
The federation cautioned that a significant further decline in fuel availability would force firms to escalate business continuity measures — a move that could increase operating costs and push fragile enterprises into making “difficult decisions.” “Severe decline of fuel levels will mean an escalation of businesses work modalities. It may so be that keeping businesses open may incur more cost and this is when the difficult decisions need to be made,” Bernard said.
Bernard welcomed the ceasefire that has reopened the Strait of Hormuz and urged Fiji to act decisively to replenish supplies. “We need to capitalise on ensuring we are able to stock up on as much fuel as possible but at the same time efficiently use our current and incoming stock,” he said, stressing both procurement and efficient distribution as priorities.
The FCEF warning deepens concerns previously raised by consumer watchdogs and regulators about Fiji’s exposure to global oil market shocks. The Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission has noted that Fiji imports all of its fuel and that changes in global oil prices are quickly passed through to the local market, heightening risks of fuel and food price increases for a nation heavily reliant on imports. Against that backdrop, the federation’s call frames the present disruption not just as a short-term supply hiccup but as a threat to business continuity and employment unless targeted measures are introduced.
As businesses adapt by reducing hours and implementing remote work where possible, the federation’s intervention shifts the focus to government action: rapid, targeted support for the most exposed sectors and practical steps to secure and allocate fuel supplies efficiently to sustain essential services and critical industries during the recovery period.
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