TotalEnergies has moved to reassure Fijians that the nation’s fuel supply remains secure, urging the public to avoid panic buying that could place unnecessary strain on the system as global prices rise. The company says its ordering and delivery cycle provides a buffer that should prevent local shortages so long as international suppliers continue to meet contracts.
Managing Director Bhavana Semal told media that TotalEnergies places fuel orders up to three months in advance, and that each incoming shipment is sized to cover roughly the same three-month demand under normal operating conditions. Semal said multiple upcoming deliveries have already been secured, and noted that Fiji typically receives two to three fuel shipments each month — a staggered cadence that helps maintain continuous availability at depots and service stations.
Asia Pacific Executive Director Joel Abraham warned the public that panic buying is the immediate risk to the domestic fuel system, not an imminent disruption of tanker arrivals. Abraham said surging international fuel prices — driven by geopolitical tensions in key oil-producing regions — are the primary concern rather than a supply stoppage. He appealed for calm so the delivery schedule can operate as planned and stocks remain stable.
The reassurance comes amid broader regional alarm over rising crude and refined fuel costs linked to renewed hostilities in the Middle East and shipping risks around the Strait of Hormuz. Fiji’s consumer watchdog has previously cautioned that, as a country that imports all of its fuel, global price movements can quickly flow through to local pump prices. Regulators have noted that price adjustments in Fiji typically appear within weeks of international shifts because of the country’s import dependence.
TotalEnergies’ explanation of its three-month ordering horizon provides context for why executives are confident about physical availability even as prices climb. A staggered delivery cycle and multiple secured shipments give distributors time to replenish retail networks and limit the chance that short-term spikes in retail demand will leave particular stations dry. Company officials stressed, however, that this system depends on international suppliers continuing to meet their delivery obligations.
Authorities and industry leaders are now entreating consumers to resist stockpiling, saying such behaviour can create localized shortages and further stress supply chains at a time when households and businesses are already coping with higher costs. With global prices the dominant driver of any near-term pain at the pumps, the focus for policymakers will be on cushioning vulnerable consumers and monitoring price flows, while companies like TotalEnergies seek to keep imports flowing on the current schedule.
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