Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Mereseini Vuniwaqa stresses that she likes to deal with real cases following complaints regarding issues about the $100 monthly pension payment and the $40 monthly bus fare assistance.
Vuniwaqa also refutes claims that the Ministry is running out of funds.
FijiVillage has raised the question with Vuniwaqa after some senior citizens who are part of these two assistance programs started raising concern that they are not receiving the pension anymore. Some have claimed that they have been told that they have been removed from the pension scheme because they are farmers. Others have claimed that a Ministry official told them that they were not paid the pension because the Ministry had insufficient funds.
There are also complaints that some people who were supposed to get $40 monthly bus fare assistance are now receiving a lower top up, even as low as $17.
Vuniwaqa says people can contact her or Ministry staff, and she also reveals there are also cases of abuse reported by the recipients.
She says there is a procedure in place for people with grievances and has asked that these people visit the ministry or their nearest Social Welfare office for assistance.
ADVERTISEMENT
