Pressure mounts for cost-of-living relief in National Budget

The Nadroga Navosa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NNCCI) is urging the Government to prioritise cost-of-living relief for households, tighten public spending and invest in critical infrastructure when it delivers the 2026–2027 National Budget later this month.

NNCCI president Suresh Naidu said ordinary Fijians continued to feel the effects of inflation and global economic pressures, and needed support to meet everyday expenses.

“To maintain economic activity, ordinary Fijians need support to meet essential living costs,” he said.

The chamber is expecting measures such as targeted subsidies on essential goods, a review of duties on basic commodities or direct welfare assistance for low-income families.

“Relief for households directly translates to sustained economic activity for micro, small and medium enterprises.”

As the Budget announcement approaches, Mr Naidu said the Government must deliver a balanced fiscal plan that prioritises critical infrastructure, supports the grassroots economy, provides immediate relief to households and maintains strong fiscal responsibility.

“Our businesses and communities are adaptive, but to thrive, we need the right enabling environment,” he said.

“We are looking to the 2026–2027 National Budget to tackle our structural bottlenecks, particularly our water infrastructure, and to inject support directly where it counts — into our emerging farming communities and heavily burdened households.”

Mr Naidu said the chamber stood ready to work with the Ministry of Finance and other stakeholders to ensure Budget allocations were implemented efficiently for the benefit of people in Nadroga-Navosa.

“Crucially, this must be balanced by strict government prudence. Fiscal discipline at the top is exactly what is required to build long-term private sector confidence.”

The chamber is also calling for specific capital funding to upgrade the Sigatoka Water Treatment Plant and its ageing reticulation network, saying water security remains a major challenge for residents and businesses.

“Persistent disruptions stall business operations, particularly in our vital tourism and service sectors,” Mr Naidu said.

“A comprehensive upgrade is overdue to ensure a clean, reliable and consistent water supply that matches the growth of the Western Division.”

Support for emerging farmers is another priority.

Although Nadroga is known as the “Salad Bowl of Fiji”, Mr Naidu said many small-scale and emerging farmers continued to operate without formal support.

“We are calling for accessible grant frameworks, subsidised farming inputs and specialised training programmes,” he said.

“Elevating these grassroots farmers into the formal commercial sector is vital for localised wealth creation and national food security.”

The chamber is also advocating tighter control of government spending.

“We strongly advocate for aggressive government cost-cutting measures in this fiscal cycle,” Mr Naidu said.

“The 2026–2027 Budget should reflect a lean operational framework, the elimination of administrative redundancies and strict accountability for public expenditure.”

He said redirecting funds from non-essential operational costs to capital projects would create fiscal space for infrastructure and relief programmes without increasing national debt.