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Taveuni residents are calling for immediate intervention over ongoing fuel supply concerns on the island.
This follows multiple attempts by the island’s business community to contact authorities and their local fuel supplier.
Despite previous government assurances that a fuel shipment would arrive today, a social media post by Interlink Shipping Services confirmed that while a vessel departed for Taveuni, no fuel truck was onboard.
According to Interlink, space was available for the fuel trucks. In a statement, the shipping company said:
“Despite booking two fuel trucks for Legend Fuel to travel onboard the MV Ohana, the fuel companies decided at the last minute not to load with us. These cancellations have prevented the delivery of fuel to Taveuni.”
Residents told FBC News that the scheduled shipment charged an additional $1,000 compared to previous arrangements with Goundar Shipping.
Qila businessman Satya Shandil stated that the fuel crisis stems from a past disagreement that led to TotalEnergies pulling out of the island due to high costs.
Since then, the island has had to bear the freight costs of transporting fuel trucks to maintain its supply.
“This has been 40 cents extra per litre we have been paying. And that’s not fair. It is not fair if we are right-thinking people who would understand what we are saying. So this is the mechanism that should be looked at in the fairness of the people who are staying in remote areas, rural areas. It’s the duty of the government to look after them.”
Additionally, an entrepreneur from the south of Taveuni, Abhishek Sapra, warns that continued delays will threaten essential services on the island.
“I mean, I really do believe if we did not speak out as local citizens, nothing would’ve been done by the government.”
FBC News has made multiple attempts to get a response from the government, but these have so far been futile
