Opposition MP Jone Usamate has renewed pressure on the Government to act as diesel prices surge toward record levels, saying ministers have failed to protect consumers and businesses from an accelerating fuel crisis. In a strongly worded statement, Usamate urged immediate removal of fuel taxes to blunt the impact on households and industries, warning that the squeeze is arriving at the worst possible moment for Fiji’s sugar industry.
“I am shocked. I genuinely expected the Government to finally act like a responsible administration and do something positive to keep our economy flowing,” Usamate said, accusing ministers of lacking the political will to provide meaningful relief. He argued a complete suspension of fuel taxes would have offered “a vital buffer” for families and businesses facing the sudden cost spike.
Usamate said diesel is now approaching $5 a litre on the main islands and has already exceeded that level in some maritime and outer-island communities. He flagged the timing as especially troubling for thousands of cane farmers preparing for the harvesting season, saying the sums set aside by the Fiji Sugar Corporation will not stretch far enough when fuel bills balloon. “With the money allocated by the Fiji Sugar Corporation, these farmers will not even be able to cover their basic operational costs under these crushing new fuel rates,” he said.
Beyond the fields, Usamate warned the knock-on effects would ripple through transport, manufacturing and retail. “When you hit diesel, you hit every truck, every shipping vessel, and every manufacturer, triggering a domino effect of price pass-throughs that forces supermarkets and hardware stores to raise prices just to stay alive,” he said, describing the spike as a “massive fuel shock” that risks choking the national economy.
The opposition lawmaker also questioned whether the Government’s current relief measures are adequate. Usamate dismissed piecemeal subsidies — pointing to modest travel subsidies introduced to ease cost-of-living pressures — as insufficient in the face of record fuel increases. “You cannot fight inflation by handing out minor travel subsidies with one hand while letting record-breaking fuel increases crush the entire economic foundation with the other,” he said.
His comments come as fuel availability and costs have become a growing operational concern across the region. Last month Fiji Airways temporarily imposed limits on some regional routes citing fuel supply issues, an example, according to analysts, of how constrained fuel markets can affect logistics and domestic costs. That, combined with rising global prices, has heightened calls from the Opposition for faster and more decisive government intervention.
The Government has not yet publicly moved to remove fuel taxes or announced any new, comprehensive measure to offset the diesel surge. Usamate warned inflationary pressures will persist “until this administration addresses the real issue and removes the tax burden from the fuel driving our economy,” a development he said is essential to prevent further hardship for households and primary producers alike as the harvest season approaches.