Opposition MP Faiyaz Koya told Parliament that rising living costs are placing growing strain on Fijian households, warning that many families are struggling to meet day‑to‑day expenses despite government figures pointing to economic growth.
Speaking during a parliamentary sitting, Koya highlighted increases in food prices and transportation costs as central pressures squeezing household budgets. He argued that headline economic statistics are of little comfort to families who are unable to afford basic necessities, and said the disconnect between aggregate growth numbers and lived experience is fuelling public unease about who is actually benefiting from the economy’s upturn.
Koya also raised concerns relayed to him by business owners, who he said are contending with ongoing economic uncertainty that undermines investment and planning. He pointed to the continued outward migration of skilled workers as another worrying trend, suggesting that the loss of talent overseas risks eroding the country’s productive capacity and could blunt future growth if not addressed.
The intervention comes against a backdrop of recent government measures and contested cost pressures. The 2024/25 national budget included adjustments intended to relieve living costs, such as converting bus fare top‑ups into cash payments for social welfare recipients, while the Housing Minister has defended stepped‑up affordable housing initiatives. Yet critics, including Koya, are arguing those steps do not fully counteract rising everyday costs for many households.
External factors are also complicating the picture. Authorities have warned that global fuel markets remain vulnerable — including to recent tensions in the Middle East — a development the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission has said could push up local fuel and transport prices. At the same time, businesses in urban centres voiced alarm last year when an electricity tariff increase was announced, raising further concerns about operational costs feeding through to consumer prices.
Koya’s remarks underscore a widening debate over distributional outcomes beneath headline growth. “Many Fijians are asking who benefits from reported economic growth,” he told MPs, according to his office’s summary of his speech, encapsulating the political risk for the government if everyday cost pressures persist for voters.
There was no substantive government response recorded in the sitting to Koya’s comments. The latest parliamentary exchange is likely to increase pressure on ministers to demonstrate how budgetary and policy measures will translate into relief at the household level — whether through targeted subsidies, tighter measures to stabilise fuel and electricity costs, or incentives to retain skilled workers. The issue is poised to remain prominent as lawmakers and stakeholders press for concrete steps to link economic performance with improved living standards.
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