The Ministry of Social Welfare has assured it will maintain current social protection programs.

The Ministry of Social Welfare has assured it will maintain current social protection programs.

These includes the Social Pension scheme, Poverty Benefit scheme, Care and Protection allowance, Rural Pregnant Mothers Program and the Disability Allowance scheme.

Minister Mereseini Vuniwaqa says the $144 million which includes $16 million from the COVID-19 Response Budget, will boost their efforts.

“It is also encouraging to note that this budget further increases the tax deduction on wages paid for the employment of people with disabilities for 3 consecutive years, from 300% to 400%”.

The Ministry also received an additional allocation of $25, 000 to review these social protection program systems and processes and make amendments where necessary.

Vuniwaqa has also confirmed that the 2020 National Women’s Expo will not be held this year.

“I also understand the reason why the budget for some of our programs have been removed. Now is normally the period when we hold Divisional crafts shows to select Expo participants. We obviously can’t hold the shows now because of the COVID crisis”.

Meanwhile, the monthly travelling allowance for all pensioners in Fiji has also been reduced from forty to twenty-dollars.