The Consumer Council of Fiji has escalated calls for a formal market inquiry into supermarket pricing, telling a parliamentary committee that routine monitoring by regulators is no longer enough to protect households from rising grocery costs.
Chief Executive Seema Shandil made the submission to the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs during a review of the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (FCCC) 2023–2024 Annual Report. Shandil said consumers are facing “serious affordability pressures” driven by rising living costs, Fiji’s dependence on imports and ongoing supply chain disruptions, and argued that the FCCC must move beyond market observation to active intervention.
“While we know FCCC monitors prices, they conduct market studies, consumers continue to face serious affordability pressures from rising living costs, import dependency, and supply chain disruption. So monitoring alone is not enough,” Shandil told the committee. She urged action on excessive retail markups, stronger measures to increase market competition, and tighter scrutiny of importer and distributor pricing behaviour. The council also raised concerns that some tax and duty reductions are not being passed on to consumers at the retail level.
Shandil said the council has long advocated for a detailed inquiry into supermarket operations and pricing behaviour, to identify where margins are being applied and whether savings from fiscal measures reach shoppers. “What we need to see is stronger intervention on excessive markups, increased market competition, and better scrutiny of importer and distributor pricing behavior,” she said, adding that such a review would help ensure tax savings translate into “tangible gain for Fijian households.”
Committee Chair Sakiusa Tubuna echoed those worries and shared a personal example of uneven pricing across outlets. “The Committee has thought about that previously, if we can have an inquiry into supermarkets, because I had an experience on Sunday, I was looking for roast chicken, I went to one supermarket, 1.4 was $21.50, and I went to another supermarket, 1.7 was $22. So you see a significant price variation,” Tubuna said, illustrating the everyday impact of price discrepancies.
Tubuna indicated the committee may recommend that parliament or the FCCC launch a formal market inquiry into supermarket conduct and operations. If pursued, such an inquiry would typically involve a detailed examination of supplier and retailer pricing practices, potential anti-competitive behaviour, and the flow-through of cost changes from importers to consumers — findings that could inform regulatory or policy responses.
The Consumer Council’s push builds on broader public concern about affordability across essential services and goods. While the FCCC has conducted market studies and price monitoring, consumer advocates maintain that a targeted inquiry into supermarkets — where a large share of household food spending occurs — is necessary to address persistent and palpable price pressures felt by Fijian families.
The committee’s next steps are expected to include consideration of the council’s submission and whether to formalise a recommendation. The outcome will determine whether the FCCC or another authority launches a full market inquiry that could demand greater transparency from importers, distributors and retailers on pricing decisions.