Mosese Raqio 
[Photo: FILE]
Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran says the Coalition Government is investing in helping vulnerable families become self-reliant rather than trapped in long-term welfare dependency.
Defending her ministry’s increased funding, Kiran says over 130,000 vulnerable Fijians now receive support as new livelihood programs roll out to build sustainable incomes.
She adds that a National Poverty Strategy will soon launch to improve access to essential services and deliver lasting solutions.
The ministry is also overhauling its welfare system, digitising thousands of manual records to speed up payments, improve accountability, and eliminate duplicate claims.
Kiran reveals that when the government took office, some offices had only two working computers, causing severe processing delays.
The Minister dismissed concerns over a $3 million audit issue, clarifying that no money was missing.
She explained the problem stemmed strictly from manual reconciliation errors.
“So it was a reconciliation issue and it’s been an ongoing issue for many years; we are hoping with digitalization now, we will be able to very efficiently manage it.”
Meanwhile, Minister for Finance Esrom Immanuel says welfare payments increased by 15 percent in 2023, followed by another 5 percent in 2025, as the government acted early to cushion struggling families against the rising cost of living.
