Govt pays out $104.2 million to 289,489 Fijians in the first round of $360 assistance

The Government has paid $104.2 million to 289,489 Fijians under the first round of unemployment assistance while a few dozen applications are still being processed.

Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says this accounts for about 84% of the total applications received which was 345,289.

He says they have made an additional $3.4 million payment to 9,794 individuals since last Thursday which includes payments to 7,938 individuals who had input the incorrect Tax Identification Number.

Sayed-Khaiyum says the Ministry of Economy obtained the correct TIN of these individuals from FRCS and using their Birth Registration Number, they were assisted.

The Minister says 2,412 individuals that double-dipped in the previous rounds got less than $360 and the funds have been recovered from them.

He states if some individuals had applied and had not received the funds by now, that means they are either employed, they are civil servants, they are receiving social welfare assistance or pension or TELS or Toppers living allowance.

Sayed-Khaiyum further says those who are employed but still got the money will not be getting it the next time.

He says another reason why some may not have received the fund is because they may not have provided their TIN or Birth Registration Number or both and therefore there is no possibility of verification of the information.

Sayed-Khaiyum says another reason some people may not have received the money is because they have not provided the TIN at all and adds they have gone out of their way to assist these people who made a mistake in their Birth Registration Number or TIN.

The Minister has also highlighted that 16.8% of the people who received $360 came from Nasinu, 15.7% from Nadi, 14.5% from Lautoka, 11.3% from Suva, 11.3% from Nausori, 8.4% from Ba, 5.8% from Sigatoka, 4.1% from Rakiraki, 3.1% from Navua, 3.1% from Tavua and about 5.8% of people were from other areas.

He adds that a lot of people over the age of 51 years have been using the USSD platform which gets rid of the misconceived notion that only young people know how to use mobile phones.

A toll-free line has also been set for people who still have questions where they can call 158 or 249 9999.