The Employment Relations Amendment Bill No. 27 of 2025 will increase business costs and introduce criminal liabilities for procedural and administrative errors, RB Patel has warned.
In the company’s 2026 annual report, chairman Jitoko Tikolevu raised concerns about the proposed legislation, saying businesses were already struggling with rising wages, declining consumer confidence and increasing government regulation.
“The recent ERA Amendment Bill No. 27 of 2025 is a case in point which highlights the continuing increase in the cost of doing business together with greater regulation,” Mr Tikolevu said.
“The Bill introduces onerous provisions that will increase costs to business together with introduction of criminal liabilities and offences of procedural and administrative errors.”
He said wage rates under the wages regulations had increased by as much as 87 per cent since 2022, placing additional pressure on employers.
“These increases have had and continue to have a significant impact on businesses.”
Mr Tikolevu said Fiji’s retail sector was operating in an increasingly difficult economic environment, with falling consumer confidence and demand affecting business performance.
“Market conditions put the retail sector under extreme pressure during the latest year,” he said.
“Our financial results were impacted by what was an ongoing decline in economic conditions, and hence consumer confidence and demand.”
He also questioned the level of regulation facing the industry, claiming Fiji had more supermarkets per capita than Australia, New Zealand and almost every other country.
Despite the difficult trading conditions, the company recorded a 10.2 per cent increase in after-tax profit to $13.27 million for the 2026 financial year, compared with $12.05 million the previous year.
Total income increased by 2.9 per cent to $196.15 million, while operating profit rose marginally by 0.6 per cent to $18.03 million.
The company maintained dividends at 5.5 cents per share, while earnings per share increased to 8.8 cents.
Looking ahead, Mr Tikolevu warned that the 2026/27 financial year could bring further uncertainty because of global political disruptions and domestic economic pressures.
“There’s certainly nothing to indicate that the financial year of 2026/27 is going to be any less challenging,” he said.
However, he said the company would continue investing in its workforce, products and services while remaining hopeful of a gradual improvement in trading conditions.
