Market vendors from Naitasiri and Lautoka are urging Fijians to tighten household budgets and change daily routines after government moves to manage a worsening fuel situation, saying ordinary families will feel the squeeze and must adapt fast. Their comments come after the Phase One National Fuel Emergency Action Plan was announced by Minister for Information Lynda Tabuya on Friday, prompting fresh concern among those who rely on transport to earn a living and to bring food to market.
From Saumakia Village in Naitasiri, market vendor Salaseini Radini — who has sold produce for 15 years — described the immediate household impact. “Sometimes we can afford to buy kerosene and gas, and sometimes we can’t,” she said, noting there are seven people staying at home and her son is the only one working. Radini said she will shift how she operates to cut costs: using public transportation to get to market, selling from home when possible, and supplying fruits and vegetables directly to companies willing to buy from her household rather than making frequent trips.
Radini drew on lessons from the COVID-19 lockdown when urging others to rethink spending. “If we don’t manage it well, we won’t be able to purchase food to put on our table,” she said, warning against discretionary spending on alcohol and social activities that can erode tight budgets. Her call for “smart handling” of finances underscores the strain small-scale vendors and their families face when fuel and energy costs rise.
In Lautoka, vendor and retired professional photographer Subar Mani, who has been selling at the market for 11 years, echoed concerns and pointed to broader behavioural changes motorists can make. “With the global fuel crisis, the price is bound to increase,” he said following the government’s Phase One announcement. Mani urged people not to make unnecessary trips and to avoid treating vehicles as conveniences for daily, avoidable errands — steps he said would both save money and conserve fuel.
Both vendors represent a segment of Fiji’s informal food economy that is particularly sensitive to transport and energy disruptions. Increased fuel costs can feed through to higher transport charges, raising prices for fresh produce and adding pressure to already tight household budgets. Vendors’ plans to reduce travel, sell from home and target bulk buyers are practical adaptations that could help smooth supply while limiting costs.
The vendors’ reactions are the latest grassroots response to the national plan and highlight why consumer behaviour will be central to its success. While the government rolls out action to manage fuel availability and pricing, those at the market level are already adjusting routines to protect incomes and ensure food remains on family tables. Their experience underscores the immediate, human side of a policy meant to stabilise fuel supplies, and signals the kinds of lifestyle and business shifts communities may need to sustain through the emergency period.
Leave a comment