Fiji citizens are at a dilemma, a number of them do not know how to cope with the rising cost of living every day. Not only is the food prices increasing but other necessities too like, pre-loved clothes and new clothes are almost exactly the same price, nowadays.
The high cost of living in Fiji makes it is so hard for ordinary people to feed their families. Meanwhile people with status continue to eat cake and travel overseas extensively
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Some food items and basic goods have gone up 55 per cent in the past six months according to a Fiji Labor Party survey.
Last week's survey compared current prices of everyday items with prices in January 2011 after VAT was increased to 15% under Budget 2011.
Garlic, onions and potatoes have come down but staples such as sugar, sharps, butter and cooking oil have gone up. The price of flour/sharps shot up by 30% from $10.99 to $14.26 for a 10kg bag. The price of cooking oil (Punja’s Soya Bean) rose 16% from $3.56 to $4.11 for a 750ml bottle.
The survey found that Rewa butter had gone up 21% putting at $7.34c for a 500g pack. Pre-devaluation 500g of was $3.29. The increase has been put at 123%.
The price for sugar has jumped almost 90% in six months from $2.39 (2kg bag) to $4.50. In recent years it was selling for 95c a kg. Cooking gas is almost $50 ($49 a 12kg cylinder) - a 31% hike from its pre-devaluation price of $37.50.
FLP says the price of unleaded Super has jumped 60% since pre-devaluation – from $1.57 a litre to the current price of $2.50. Taken over a 6 month period from January 2011, the increase is 5.5%.
Diesel is up almost 80% from $1.33 per litre to $2.37 ltr, rising 15% since January.
Milo has jumped 55% from $6.99 (500g) to $10.79.
In the meat section, lamb/mutton cuts have increased in price by about 5% while Crest chicken has gone down slightly - 1.6% from $12.59 to $12.39 for a size 15. Canned fish and meat have increased by between 5-7% in price since January.
Prices for one or two items surveyed have remained static over the six month period such as Cold Power laundry detergent and Breakfast cracker biscuits.
Tomatoes continue to be expensive fluctuating between $10-12 a kg, despite being in season.
The FLP says its survey did not take into account market produce, prices for which have gone up 100% or more in the past six months since VAT went up to 15%. (original source FLP website)
Some food items and basic goods have gone up 55 per cent in the past six months according to a Fiji Labor Party survey.
Last week's survey compared current prices of everyday items with prices in January 2011 after VAT was increased to 15% under Budget 2011.
Garlic, onions and potatoes have come down but staples such as sugar, sharps, butter and cooking oil have gone up. The price of flour/sharps shot up by 30% from $10.99 to $14.26 for a 10kg bag. The price of cooking oil (Punja’s Soya Bean) rose 16% from $3.56 to $4.11 for a 750ml bottle.
The survey found that Rewa butter had gone up 21% putting at $7.34c for a 500g pack. Pre-devaluation 500g of was $3.29. The increase has been put at 123%.
The price for sugar has jumped almost 90% in six months from $2.39 (2kg bag) to $4.50. In recent years it was selling for 95c a kg. Cooking gas is almost $50 ($49 a 12kg cylinder) - a 31% hike from its pre-devaluation price of $37.50.
FLP says the price of unleaded Super has jumped 60% since pre-devaluation – from $1.57 a litre to the current price of $2.50. Taken over a 6 month period from January 2011, the increase is 5.5%.
Diesel is up almost 80% from $1.33 per litre to $2.37 ltr, rising 15% since January.
Milo has jumped 55% from $6.99 (500g) to $10.79.
In the meat section, lamb/mutton cuts have increased in price by about 5% while Crest chicken has gone down slightly - 1.6% from $12.59 to $12.39 for a size 15. Canned fish and meat have increased by between 5-7% in price since January.
Prices for one or two items surveyed have remained static over the six month period such as Cold Power laundry detergent and Breakfast cracker biscuits.
Tomatoes continue to be expensive fluctuating between $10-12 a kg, despite being in season.
The FLP says its survey did not take into account market produce, prices for which have gone up 100% or more in the past six months since VAT went up to 15%. (original source FLP website)
Here is a presentation by the Consumer Council of Fiji:
The Global Effects of Rising Prices
What Can We Do?
The Role of Consumer Council (CCOF) in the Current Environment
How inflation is affecting consumer standard of Living, and the role of the Council in the current environment, first the high rates of inflation leads to decline in the value of money because we have to pay more and more for the same goods and services.
Soaring food and fuel prices has played havoc with household finances, as a result consumer can no longer live within its income
Weekly supermarket bill is getting bigger while the trolley load is getting smaller. Salary or wages remained fixed or others getting half pay as a result of reduced hours or facing 2% pay cut, Consumers savings if any is eroding.
All in all consumers are suffering because any increase in importation, production, distribution and retail cost of goods and services are passed down to the consumers.
In regards to world food price increase the CCOF is engaged in several activities for government intervention
The Council have made a submission to the National Budget Consultative Process in 2007 seeking for policy changes in key areas to alleviate hardship on the consumers as a result of this initiative the Prices and Incomes Board has issued 14 days intention notice to the traders.
There is a greater probability that the value of inflation is distorted, the Council believes the inflation is running in double digits, put simply if inflation stands at 6.9 percent in June 2008, a basket of goods that cost $100 in June 2007 a year ago would now cost $106.90 i.e. increase by $6.90, unfortunately consumers are forking out more
The price of a tap washer which used to be sold at 10cents in 2008 now cost 50c in hardware shops, I noticed this when I went last week to Nikhil Enterprises Limited located along Nina street to get a new tap washer for our kitchen tap.
There is therefore an urgent need to revise the basket of goods and services to eliminate the rising cost of living in Fiji.
Some food items and basic goods have gone up 55 per cent in the past six months according to a Fiji Labour Party survey.
Last week's survey compared current prices of everyday items with prices in January 2011 after VAT was increased to 15% under the 2011 budget.
Garlic, onions and potatoes have come down but staples such as sugar, sharps, butter and cooking oil have gone up. The price of flour/sharps shot up by 30% from $10.99 to $14.26 for a 10kg bag. The price of cooking oil (Punja’s Soya Bean) rose 16% from $3.56 to $4.11 for a 750ml bottle.
The survey found that Rewa butter had gone up 21% putting at $7.34c for a 500g pack. Pre-devaluation 500g of was $3.29. The increase has been put at 123%.
The price for sugar has jumped almost 90% in six months from $2.39 (2kg bag) to $4.50. In recent years it was was selling for 95c a kg. Cooking gas is almost $50 ($49 a 12kg cylinder) - a 31% hike from its pre-devaluation price of $37.50.
FLP says the price of unleaded Super has jumped 60% since pre-devaluation – from $1.57 a litre to the current price of $2.50. Taken over a 6 month period from January 2011, the increase is 5.5%.
Diesel is up almost 80% from $1.33 per litre to $2.37 ltr, rising 15% since January.
Milo has jumped 55% from $6.99 (500g) to $10.79.
In the meat section, lamb/mutton cuts have increased in price by about 5% while Crest chicken has gone down slightly - 1.6% from $12.59 to $12.39 for a size 15. Canned fish and meat have increased by between 5-7% in price since January.
Prices for one or two items surveyed have remained static over the six month period such as Cold Power laundry detergent and Breakfast cracker biscuits.
Tomatoes continue to be expensive fluctuating between $10-12 a kg, despite being in season.
The FLP says its survey did not take into account market produce, prices for which have gone up 100% or more in the past six months since VAT went up to 15%. (original source FLP website)
Last week's survey compared current prices of everyday items with prices in January 2011 after VAT was increased to 15% under the 2011 budget.
Garlic, onions and potatoes have come down but staples such as sugar, sharps, butter and cooking oil have gone up. The price of flour/sharps shot up by 30% from $10.99 to $14.26 for a 10kg bag. The price of cooking oil (Punja’s Soya Bean) rose 16% from $3.56 to $4.11 for a 750ml bottle.
The survey found that Rewa butter had gone up 21% putting at $7.34c for a 500g pack. Pre-devaluation 500g of was $3.29. The increase has been put at 123%.
The price for sugar has jumped almost 90% in six months from $2.39 (2kg bag) to $4.50. In recent years it was was selling for 95c a kg. Cooking gas is almost $50 ($49 a 12kg cylinder) - a 31% hike from its pre-devaluation price of $37.50.
FLP says the price of unleaded Super has jumped 60% since pre-devaluation – from $1.57 a litre to the current price of $2.50. Taken over a 6 month period from January 2011, the increase is 5.5%.
Diesel is up almost 80% from $1.33 per litre to $2.37 ltr, rising 15% since January.
Milo has jumped 55% from $6.99 (500g) to $10.79.
In the meat section, lamb/mutton cuts have increased in price by about 5% while Crest chicken has gone down slightly - 1.6% from $12.59 to $12.39 for a size 15. Canned fish and meat have increased by between 5-7% in price since January.
Prices for one or two items surveyed have remained static over the six month period such as Cold Power laundry detergent and Breakfast cracker biscuits.
Tomatoes continue to be expensive fluctuating between $10-12 a kg, despite being in season.
The FLP says its survey did not take into account market produce, prices for which have gone up 100% or more in the past six months since VAT went up to 15%. (original source FLP website)
Here is a presentation by the Consumer Council of Fiji:
The Global Effects of Rising Prices
What Can We Do?
The Role of Consumer Council (CCOF) in the Current Environment
How inflation is affecting consumer standard of Living, and the role of the Council in the current environment, first the high rates of inflation leads to decline in the value of money because we have to pay more and more for the same goods and services.
Soaring food and fuel prices has played havoc with household finances, as a result consumer can no longer live within its income
Weekly supermarket bill is getting bigger while the trolley load is getting smaller. Salary or wages remained fixed or others getting half pay as a result of reduced hours or facing 2% pay cut, Consumers savings if any is eroding.
All in all consumers are suffering because any increase in importation, production, distribution and retail cost of goods and services are passed down to the consumers.
In regards to world food price increase the CCOF is engaged in several activities for government intervention
The Council have made a submission to the National Budget Consultative Process in 2007 seeking for policy changes in key areas to alleviate hardship on the consumers as a result of this initiative the Prices and Incomes Board has issued 14 days intention notice to the traders.
There is a greater probability that the value of inflation is distorted, the Council believes the inflation is running in double digits, put simply if inflation stands at 6.9 percent in June 2008, a basket of goods that cost $100 in June 2007 a year ago would now cost $106.90 i.e. increase by $6.90, unfortunately consumers are forking out more
The price of a tap washer which used to be sold at 10cents in 2008 now cost 50c in hardware shops, I noticed this when I went last week to Nikhil Enterprises Limited located along Nina street to get a new tap washer for our kitchen tap.
There is therefore an urgent need to revise the basket of goods and services to eliminate the rising cost of living in Fiji.
We discussed this.
ReplyDeleteWell, well, i really like your blog when you really explain the situation in detail. As a student from Tuvalu, I found living in Fiji very hard, i thought it was only the people from outside Fiji who are experiencing this since Fijians and Indo-Fijians can always get food from their lands and save money for other stuffs, but its happening to all of us instead. Well this is why the Tuvaluan USP Students Association have asked the Tuvalu government for an increase in allowance since last year, but so far there hasn't been a change in what we receive because our government want us to do a research and collect and put them together for evidence of the increase in prices and the rising cost of living in Fiji. Should it wait for us? it is the duty of it's officials to do their research and collect their informations to support the request from students, students are here to learn not to go around finding facts and figures to provide to government for an increase in allowance.
ReplyDeletewell, thankyou Miss Bellezac for your comment,
ReplyDelete