M-Paisa payment is displayed above.

The Ministry of Finance has successfully paid $32.5 million to 162,292 students as part of the $200 Back to School Support initiative.

Permanent Secretary Shiri Gounder says this is the first phase of payment for applications received by January 20th.

Gounder says applications received after January 20th will be assessed and paid later next week.

He adds parents can now withdraw the funds at any Vodafone or Digicel outlet or purchase items at registered retail outlets accepting MPAISA or MYCASH payments.

The Permanent Secretary says for parents that had opted for payment through Post Fiji, they can visit the nearest postal outlet to access their funds.

The PS urges parents to use the funds responsibly to purchase school-related items and ensure that students are properly equipped before school starts in February.