Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation to digitize their databases to ensure social allowance protection

The Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation is now looking at the digitalization of all its data and processes to strengthen its system and ensure integrity.

This was highlighted by the Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Lynda Tabuya who says this is part of their 5 year strategic plan.

She says the databases are currently being done manually, which certainly is open to abuse as we do not have a central bank that contains all the data.

Tabuya says the digitalization will be done as the ministry has received reports of people who are allegedly receiving social welfare assistance to which they are not rightfully entitled and receiving assistance after older persons in these respective families are deceased.

She says the Ministry has received reports from the Fiji Financial Intelligence Unit and the general public alleging possible abuse of social welfare allowance, particularly the social pension scheme which is meant for senior citizens above the age of 65.

Tabuya says digitalization will therefore address these issues.