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‘Letters to the Editor’: EFL Increases tariffs

The Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association CEO is congratulated for her powerful voice and stand to object any increase in tariff. I thank you sincerely.

It is truly unpatriotic, annoying and most troubling, the nation’s monopolistic supplier of energy, in the face of huge reported profit of $58million in 2022, still persists in its demands for a massive 32% increase in their tariffs. This is absurd.

As the “little voice” for many hundred thousand “silent majority” of domestic consumers, including those hundreds struggling in business, I am somewhat amazed, our town and city chambers of commerce and industry, remain “deafenlingly” quiet.

Equally so, our town and city councils have not uttered a word in support of all struggling residents and businesses.

Do I stand corrected, or is there an inadvertent oversight, on my part?

The Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association CEO is congratulated for her powerful voice and stand to object any increase in tariff. I thank you sincerely.

Government must open doors to all those who are able to afford green, clean and alternate sources of renewable energy i.e. solar as opposed to fossil fuel.

Government needs to immediately find an urgent solution to facilitate Nabou Green Energy in their massive $90 million investment. Were they initially “hood-winked” in the “supposed promise” of preferred timber fuel to activate their plants in Nabou near Nadi?

This is a huge grey area which needs to be exposed. I will stand corrected, in the national interest. This huge foreign investment needs help and protection with some urgency, in my view.

Their reported $90 million investment cannot be ignored or taken for granted.

Has Nabou Green Energy near Nadi been unfairly treated? Their contribution will definitely ease annoying outages in both Sigatoka and Nadi. Nadi being the “tourism capital” of Fiji, without doubt, as Denarau boasts some unprecedented 3,000 upmarket resort rooms and apartments, a modern port of entry for numerous super-yachts; home for South Sea Cruises of Fijian Holdings fame; array of top class shops, golf and tennis.

EFL definitely needs competition. Competition is healthy. Monopolistic protection can breed complacency, in my humble view, in national interests.

Ongoing monopoly does not work in favour of all who are struggling to survive these challenging times.

EFL has a track record with numerous unplanned power cuts.

This speaks volumes. How many disagree with me? (Martintar Nadi had two annoying outages as recent as Saturday, Sept 23, 2023).

If national carrier, Fiji Airways can proudly survive much competition from bigger carriers like Air NZ, Qantas, JetStar, Virgin Australia, then EFL needs this exposure.

Fiji Parliament needs some healthy deliberation in the national interest in reliable and consistent energy supply.

Feedback: letters@fijisun.com.fj