Litia Cava 
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Minister for Social Protection Lynda Tabuya has drawn attention to a worrisome trend of employed individuals in Fiji continuing to access government social welfare assistance.
The revelation has sparked concerns about the misuse of resources and the need to ensure that support reaches those who genuinely require it.
In response, Tabuya states the ministry has embarked on a significant digital transformation aimed at enhancing its database capabilities.
Social Protection Minister, Lynda Tabuya.
She says this upgrade will enable more precise identification of individuals in genuine need of assistance while also identifying cases of double-dipping from government aid programs.
“They’ve found employment, they’re moving on and they should no longer be on the system but they are not coming forward to tell us that they should be removed from the program and it upon us, it is our responsibility to find these people or these recipients and to move them out of the program if they found employment, we’re very happy for them but if they haven’t, we need to help them with a pathway.”
Tabuya states that the ministry aims to enhance the effectiveness of social welfare programs by streamlining the system and ensuring that assistance reaches those who truly need it.
As a testament to this commitment, the ministry’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year has recorded an increase of $52.5 million, reaching a total of $200 million.
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