After enjoying months of record low levels of fuel and gas prices, consumers will be paying a little extra from today.

The price of motor spirit goes up by $0.10 from $1.67 to $1.77 per litre, premix increases by $0.09 from $1.52 to $1.61, kerosene goes up by $0.16 from $1.24 to $1.39 and diesel increases by $0.15 from $1.24 to $1.39.

There are also rises in the prices of LPG for the third quarter of 2016. A 4.5 kilogram cylinder has risen by $0.10 from $11.51 to $11.61.

A 12KG cylinder has risen by 26 cents from $30.70 to $30.96, bulk LPG rises by $0.02 from $2.17 to $2.19 and Auto Gas by $0.01 from $1.45 to $1.46.

Government based the increase on exchange rates, freight rates and international refined oil prices as part of its third quarterly review of prices by the Fiji Commerce Commission.

The increase in prices is attributed to increased global demand for fuel, a weakening of the US dollar and supply disruptions in global distribution channels.

The Minister for Economy and acting Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, said: “Unfortunately, global demand for fuel has reached an all-time high between April and June of this year.

“We are all aware that Fiji is a price taker and can’t control for such fluctuations in global fuel markets.

“However, even when taking these quarterly increases into account, fuel and LPG prices are markedly lower than prices in this same period last year.”

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