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The Ministry of Social Protection says the government has paid out the affected Fiji National Provident Fund pensioners the promised increased allowances effective August 2023, last month.

In the 2023-24 National Budget Announcement, the Coalition Government announced that FNPF pensioners whose pension rates were reduced by the FijiFirst government in 2011, will be allowed to access the Social Pension Scheme effective August 2023.

An average of 1,500 FNPF pensioners were affected, and the payment was facilitated by the Ministry through its Social Pension Scheme.

Since August 2023, the Ministry began processing applications taking in close to 200 of the 1,500 affected FNPF pensioners.

In December 2023, the Government reviewed this process and made the decision that these pensioners will be better off served by FNPF due to ease of operations and disbursement of their allowances.

This as the Fund already has pensioners’ information including their respective bank details.

The Fund will now facilitate the payment of allowances to the affected pensioner’s accounts.

These pensioners will remain with FNPF and are no longer required to access their pension through the Ministry.