Over 100,000 existing social welfare recipients will benefit from the assistance provided by the government.

Economic Minister, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has announced that $180 will be paid by the government over the next six months to these recipients.

Sayed-Khaiyum says this will cushion the impacts of high inflation on pensioners’, government pensioners and After Care Fund recipients.

“Fijians will benefit from this initiative who are on social assistance, similar, to the cash support provided to vulnerable families, it is based on an assistance of $30 a month for the first six months.”

Sayed-Khaiyum says from August 1st, the government will also directly subsidize bus fare by ten percent across the board for at least the next six months.

“We are taking on this cost because we do not believe it is fair to place this burden on the backs of the bus companies. So when bus riders pay this new discounted fare, the Government will pay the difference directly to the bus companies.”

Sayed-Khaiyum says six million dollars has been allocated in this budget for the bus fare scheme.

The government will make an advance payment to all bus companies for August based on the previous records and reconcile with acquittal and e-ticketing data every month.