Government has extended the $50 assistance to the entire Viti Levu, because there are a number of people who are affected directly and indirectly.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama announced on Saturday that those in the informal sector and who do not qualify under any other assistance scheme and are not employed will be able to receive a payment of fifty dollars.

Economy Minister, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says this will assist all those who have either lost their job or are not able to get to their workplaces.

“Because Mr Speaker Sir, there are many people who get affected even though they may not be in a containment area. So while Nadi and Lautoka were locked down, there were a lot of people in Ba, who actually have a source of income or living from Lautoka. They travel every day to get to work. There are people who sell their root crops and vegetables in the Lautoka Market. We have people from Sigatoka who go to Nadi, there are people who live in Navua who go to Suva but they cannot go. There are people who do business, they do trade or small micro-businesses. So this is why we took a decision as announced by the honourable Prime Minister that is to expand it to the entire Viti Levu.”

Under the previous payment scheme through the money wallets of MPAISA and MYCASH, it was only restricted to households in the containment zones but under this new scheme all individuals 18 and above in Viti Levu will qualify.