Covid-19: 260K Fijians Granted Govt’s Unemployment Assistance

Two-hundred and sixty thousand Fijians have qualified for the first round of Government’s $360 unemployment assistance.
The Attorney-General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz-Sayed Khaiyum revealed this in Parliament on Friday.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said the government will pay out $93.6 million.
“So far, or by this (Friday) afternoon $54 million will be disbursed to around 150,000 Fijians,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.
He urged those who have received this fund to use it responsibly.
Government had received 345,000 applications and only 260,000 applications were approved.
This is based on an early evaluation by the Ministry of Economy.
Cheated the system
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum further revealed figures of those that had cheated the system.
He said 33,103 of those that had applied did not get the first dose of the COVID vaccine.
“So we’re giving them another week, if they go and get the first dose by next Friday, and provide us proof that they can get the $360”.
He further said that 739 who had applied were below the age of 18.
“Interestingly enough there are 4354 civil servants who applied, even though they’re being paid wages and salary.
“There were some who are currently receiving FNPF on pension who actually applied also so they don’t qualify, 2097 applied but were receiving TELS allowances, some who applied were receiving social welfare allowances and others you know did duplicate applications.”
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said successful applicants can access funds through the convenient means of MyCash through Digicel and MPAiSA, through Vodafone.
He added that this has been a huge concerted effort by the Ministry of Economy, working together with the Ministry of Communications, Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Fiji Revenue and Customs Services (FRCS), Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF), the Tertiary Scholarship & Loans Board (TSLB) board, Vodafone and Digicel.
Edited by Losirene Lacanivalu