Fiji’s Ministry for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation is conducting the technical review of the Government’s social assistance programs.
The review by the ministry’s Department of Social Welfare is done in collaboration with the Australian government through its flagship Partnerships for Social Protection program.
At its meeting last Friday (May 26, 2023), the Coalition Government’s Cabinet was informed of the review, which it stated would assess they six key social assistance schemes.
These are the:
- Poverty Benefit Scheme
- Social Pension Scheme
- Care and Protection Scheme
- Disability Allowance Scheme
- Bus-fare Concession Program, and
- Expanded Food Voucher for Rural Pregnant Mothers.
Social welfare assistance is provided by governments to disadvantaged individuals and families to help meet their basic needs and improve their overall wellbeing.
The Fiji Times had reported that $557,370,288 was paid to Fijians between 2014-2021 by the FijiFirst government under six social welfare protection programs, according to documents that were tabled in Parliament in March by Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Lynda Tabuya.
