The Consumer Council of Fiji (CCF) has warned motorists and businesses against hoarding fuel after reports emerged of people turning up at service stations with large drums and jerry cans in a bid to stockpile petrol and diesel. CCF chief executive Seema Shandil said the bulk-buying—fanned by anxiety over recent geopolitical conflicts and possible global supply disruptions—is already creating an “artificial shortage” that could leave others without access to essential fuel.
“Reports have reached the Council of individuals bringing large gallons to service stations across the country, fuelled by anxieties over geopolitical conflicts and the resulting disruption of global supply chains,” Ms Shandil said in a statement. She said both private consumers and commercial operators have been observed engaging in bulk purchases, and cautioned that current domestic supply levels do not justify the level of panic at the pumps.
Shandil explained that when individuals and businesses attempt to stockpile fuel they accelerate the drawdown of local reserves faster than the normal supply chain can replenish them. “By attempting to stockpile fuel, consumers are depleting local reserves faster than the supply chain can naturally replenish them, effectively bringing about the very shortages they are trying to avoid,” she said, urging restraint and responsible buying.
The Council drew a direct parallel with panic-buying behaviour seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, when sufficient supplies of items such as toilet paper, sugar and salt were temporarily made scarce by surges in consumer demand. “In those instances, the supply was sufficient for the population’s needs, but the sheer volume of panic buying created empty shelves and unnecessary hardship for others,” Ms Shandil said.
Beyond supply and fairness concerns, the CCF highlighted serious safety risks associated with hoarding fuel. Storing petrol or diesel at home or in unregulated commercial spaces poses a significant fire hazard to families and communities, the Council warned. It urged both private citizens and commercial operators to maintain normal purchasing habits and to buy only what is necessary for immediate operations to ensure essential services and the general public have fair and equitable access to fuel.
The advisory comes amid wider regional anxiety about energy markets after an escalation of tensions in the Middle East that has prompted earlier warnings from consumer watchdogs and regulators. Fiji imports all of its fuel and is vulnerable to international price shocks; previous coverage noted that disruptions to shipping through key passages such as the Strait of Hormuz could ripple through global markets and push up local pump prices. That context, Shandil said, does not justify hoarding—rather, measured and equitable purchasing will help communities manage through any price volatility.
The CCF’s intervention is intended as an early attempt to head off localized shortages and safety incidents before they begin. If consumers and businesses heed the Council’s call to restrain bulk-buying, the Council says supply and access should remain steady while authorities continue to monitor international developments and domestic supply levels.
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