Labasa Town. [Source: File Photo]

The government has allocated $30m in the 2021/2022 revised budget towards unemployment assistance for people in Vanua Levu.

Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says these Fijians will be given the opportunity to apply for a one-off assistance of a $100.

Sayed-Khaiyum adds the specifics of this will be announced soon as to when it will open up.

“Although many areas in the Northern Division were not under strict lockdowns for long, many people suffered economic losses because of their direct connection to the Viti Levu economy.”

He adds this program also includes their one-off assistance of $50 to all social welfare recipients of Fiji.

Sayed-Khaiyum says the bus fare subsidy for the elderly and disabled will also be increased from $10 to $25 per month.

This will bring the total cost to six million dollars benefiting close to 40, 000 Fijians.

Sayed-Khaiyum says this was a major request during the budget consultations as the local borders have opened up.

The government in 2021 provided $430m through its unemployment assistance program directly to more than 400, 000 people in the formal and the informal sector.

This program was targeted at the population in Viti Levu because of pro-longed lockdown and restriction due to COVID-19.