Riya Mala 
[Photo: Supplied]
Families affected by house fires could receive up to $10,000 in Government assistance, with the Ministry of Housing directed to increase the current fire victim grant.
The Ministry of Housing and Community Development made the submission while presenting its delayed 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 Annual Reports to the Standing Committee on Social Affairs.
Permanent Secretary for Housing and Community Development Manasa Lesuma says the grant, which was previously set at 5,000 dollars, is being reviewed and the ministerial directive is to increase it to 10,000 dollars.
Lesuma says the Ministry is considering a scale between $5,000 and $10,000, depending on the extent of damage to the home.
“Through future uh that’s currently being reviewed as we speak. We’re working with Fiji Met with the National Fire Authority and the amount has been uh increased to 10,000. But we’re looking at because some of the homes that uh some are completely burned while others are partially burned.”
Lesuma says some houses are completely destroyed by fire, while others are only partially damaged.
He adds that the Ministry is working with the Meteorological Service and the National Fire Authority as it reviews how the assistance should be provided.
The Ministry says fire victim assistance has also been expanded to rural and maritime areas.
The reports show that 452 surveyed households had been earmarked to benefit from settlement upgrading projects during the 2020–2021 financial year.
The Ministry recorded expenditure of $12.9 million in 2019–2020 and 13.5 million dollars in 2020–2021, with more than 94 per cent of its budget utilised in both years.
