Spare a Thought For Fijians in Small Islands and Remote Rural Areas

When we talk about the rise in the cost of living, it is the people who live in small islands and remote rural areas who have to bear the worst impact of rising costs.

On Vanuabalavu Island in Lau, they pay much more than we pay in Suva for items in shops.

The geographical location influences largely the cost of doing business and purchasing power. The further you live from the urban centres the more you pay for goods and services. That’s the reality.

So, if people in Suva and other urban centres are complaining about high prices imagine what they are going through in the small islands in the maritime zones and remote rural areas.

Their resilience is admirable and we don’t get to hear a lot from them except when something major or catastrophic happens, like a natural disaster. The past two days of the Vanuabalavu Expo revealed the potential for more economic activities on the island, for the many villages, some Government agencies, businesses, a secondary school, primary schools and a post office.

As people emerge from their communities we also get to hear the struggles they go through. The beauty, serenity and peace of an island paradise that we see on travel and tourist postcards sometimes belie the challenges the islanders face daily. Yes, they live on a beautiful island surrounded by turquoise blue waters. But they are subjected to the same, if not more, pressures of life that we battle in urban areas.

They are part of our cash economy and they’re dependent on the same goods and services which they pay more for because of their isolation. They are at the end of the food chain so the cost of securing and transporting basic goods and services are passed on to them as consumers like their counterparts in Suva and other urban centres. The only difference is that they pay much more.

If you are originally from the island and live in Suva it’s not cheap to travel there by air for a visit or an emergency. Fares can range from at least $250 low season to $400 and more. So, many islanders opt for boat travel because it’s cheaper. But shipping can be irregular at times due to multiple factors including weather and sea conditions.

Islanders are also exposed to unscrupulous business operators who charge exorbitant prices.

Not long ago a complaint was lodged with relevant authorities about the poor road conditions and high transport costs. It was claimed that there were drivers operating who did not carry the required Rural Service Licence (RSL) and charged high fares. Because they were not registered they operated under the radar and were not held to account. Whether that complaint has been resolved is not known. But it highlights some of the shenanigans that the islanders have to put up with.

Last but not least is the digital connectivity. The second tower, damaged during Cyclone Winston in 2016, needs to be restored to enhance communication with the outside world. At the moment the islanders have to come to Lomaloma to get connected to internet. It is particularly frustrating for those who depend on it to do business and communicate with their loved ones in Fiji and other parts of the world.

It is understood that telecom providers are looking at restoring the tower to become operational again. The sooner this happens the better it will be for the rest of the island.

Once we sort out these issues positive changes are inevitable. The response to the expo has been an encouraging indicator.