More people expected to use the social welfare assistance due to the economic impact brought by the COVID-19 pandemic – AG

Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum confirms that they have made allocations with respect to social protection programs like the Poverty Benefit Scheme with the anticipation that more people will fall through the cracks and will need that assistance due to the economic impact brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation has been allocated $159.0 million in the 2020-2021 National Budget.

Sayed-Khaiyum says the Department of Social Welfare administers Fiji’s basket of social welfare programmes, which include the Poverty Benefit Scheme, the Child Protection Allowance, the Food Voucher Program, the Social Pension Scheme and the Bus Fare Subsidy for the elderly and people living with disabilities.

He says the ongoing review on the social protection programmes systems and processes will ensure that this assistance is well-targeted and administered in a transparent and accountable manner.

Sayed-Khaiyum says the department is equally committed to ensuring that these programmes do not create a culture of dependency, focusing efforts and energy on graduating individuals and families from “welfare to workfare”.