Opposition MP Faiyaz Koya yesterday urged the Government to spell out contingency plans to protect Fiji’s economy from the fallout of rising global geopolitical tensions, warning that disruptions to trade routes and fragile supply chains threaten fuel costs, food security and the vital tourism sector.
Speaking in Parliament, Koya said conflicts unfolding overseas were not distant matters for small island states. “The world today is facing serious geopolitical tensions,” he said. “Conflicts are unfolding in different regions, global trade routes are being disrupted, and supply chains remain fragile.” He warned those developments “directly affect our economy, our fuel prices, our food security, and our tourism industry.”
Koya pressed the Government to be clear about backup strategies should international instability deepen. “This raises a critical question: Where is Fiji’s contingency plan? What is our backup strategy if global tensions escalate further? What is our national plan if tourism declines due to international instability? What is our strategy if fuel prices spike dramatically again?” he asked, adding: “Responsible leadership requires governments to plan not only for good times, but also for difficult times.”
As part of his call, the opposition MP advocated specific policy measures to reduce vulnerability to external shocks. He urged greater investment in agriculture to boost local food production, economic diversification to lessen dependence on single industries, and stepped-up investment in renewable energy and local manufacturing to reduce exposure to volatile global fuel and supply markets. “We must strengthen our agricultural sector so that Fiji can feed itself. We must diversify our economy so that we are not overly dependent on one industry. We must invest in renewable energy and local production to reduce vulnerability to global shocks,” Koya said.
Koya framed the demand as a practical, precautionary measure rather than alarmism, noting that small nations cannot shape global events but can prepare for their impacts. “Small nations cannot control global events. But we can prepare for them,” he told Parliament.
The speech puts fresh pressure on the Government to set out concrete resilience measures amid ongoing efforts to bolster Fiji’s economic standing. The administration has previously sought international support for development initiatives — including calls for stronger backing from the World Bank to transform Fiji into a Pacific economic hub — but Koya’s remarks signal renewed scrutiny on whether current plans adequately address sudden external shocks that could imperil tourism revenues, import-dependent fuel supplies and food availability. The Government has not yet issued a formal response to Koya’s call.
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