Fiji has two to three months of fuel reserves, minister says

Fiji has enough fuel stocks for the next two to three months, with the Government working closely with suppliers to ensure supplies remain stable despite the ongoing global conflict affecting international markets.

Minister for Finance, Commerce and Business Development Esrom Immanuel said fuel companies operating in Fiji currently hold adequate reserves while discussions continue with suppliers to safeguard the country’s supply chain.

“Currently, the fuel companies that we have, they have stocks between two to three months of stocks for us to use,” Mr Immanuel said.

He also said Government was in constant contact with fuel companies to ensure supply remained uninterrupted.

“We’ll monitor. We’ll be meeting them again soon. We’re talking to them almost every day to see how we can make sure that the supply continues.”

Mr Immanuel reassured the public that there was no immediate reason for concern.

“Do not panic,” he said, adding that Government had strategies ready to deal with global economic disruptions.

While Fiji’s current fuel supply remains stable, the Government is also assessing how the ongoing conflict could affect global fuel prices and the cost of living in the coming months.

Mr Immanuel said the war could influence the price of essential goods, including food and transport, because of its impact on international markets.

“We are monitoring it currently and we’ll put in some strategy towards the end of this week,” he said when asked if the conflict could push fuel prices higher in Fiji.

He added that the Government was already considering measures to support families and businesses should global fuel and import costs rise.

“Currently, there’s some there, but we’ll see how we can,” Mr Imanuel said.

Possible strategies or new measures could be announced later this week as the Government continues to monitor developments in the global conflict and its economic impact.