A 69-YEAR-OLD Nasinu woman has told The Fiji Times the proposed electricity tariff increases by Energy Fiji Ltd (EFL) would place further strain on vulnerable families already struggling to survive — including those who do not yet have access to electricity.
Lalita Devi was among members of the public who attended the FCCC consultation to share their views on the proposed tariff adjustments.
She said her family depended heavily on Government assistance and small, informal work to meet basic needs.
“We don’t have big jobs or a lot of money,” Ms Devi said.
“We rely on the Government every month. I do small bits of work here and there just to keep the household running.”
Ms Devi said she received between $100 and $150 in social welfare assistance each month, most of which went towards medication.
“The medicine is expensive, I buy what I can, but I can’t do heavy work anymore because my body doesn’t allow it.”
She also supports her 51-year-old daughter, Sangeeta Devi, who lost her eyesight because of diabetes and receives a welfare allowance of $100.
“It’s a big problem, and we try to solve it ourselves somehow.”
“We don’t even have power yet. We have the EFL post and the wiring in the area, but the power hasn’t reached us.”
Residents in the area rely on small solar panels, which Ms Devi said were unreliable during bad weather.
“When it rains, it gets dark. Some people with a little bit of money have managed to put solar panels, but we are still waiting.”
“Prices are already going up, and it’s hard to manage household expenses.”
“We are not happy about the rates going up. But if they increase them, what can we do? We are helpless.”
Ms Devi said even basic electricity use could become a burden if power eventually reached her home.
“Just seeing the wires makes us happy, thinking one day a bulb will light up, but then I think, even if we get it, will we be able to afford it?”
Ms Devi urged authorities to consider the realities faced by the elderly and low-income families and called for Government support — including assistance for solar systems — to ensure no one was left behind.
