Riya Mala 
The Consumer Council of Fiji has seen a sharp rise in complaints this year.
A huge number of complaints is related to food and beverage concerns.
CEO Seema Shandil revealed that from March to date, the Council recorded 75 complaints, a noticeable increase compared to last year’s figures for the same period.
Many of these complaints came ahead of the Easter holiday, underlining consumer frustrations.
“So, I mean, if you look at the numbers, we can’t make a real comparison to last year, because we’re still receiving complaints and we continue to analyze those complaints. But yes, we do receive a lot of complaints during this period, because, as I said, there is a shopping hype, and people are off buying things with their families and friends on shopping sprees, and that’s when they face issues.”
Last year, the Council handled around 83 complaints about food and drinks, and 71 related to online shopping, many of which were linked to Easter shopping.
This brought the total to 154 complaints during the same period in 2024.
Shandil stated that the Council is ramping up its market surveillance to ensure consumers are getting fair treatment.
She warned businesses and retailers to uphold fair practices, as the Council continues to monitor and protect consumer rights with the help of key stakeholders including the Ministry of Health and municipal councils.
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