The responsibility to financially sustain social welfare recipients does not rest solely with the government. This was the statement made by Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Lynda Tabuya in Parliament yesterday.
Ms. Tabuya was responding to criticism that social welfare allowances were insufficient given the cost of living.
“It is not the sole responsibility of government to financially sustain our social welfare recipients,” she stated.
In iTaukei, she emphatically said, “E sega ni tavi ni matanitu me qarava vakatabakidua vakailavo na qase, o ira e ra sega ni tu vinaka na tuvaki ni yagodra, kei na dravudravua. Oqo nai tavi ni dua na vuvale. Na matanitu e solia ga na veivuke me vakuria tu nai tavi e dodonu ga me nona eliu e dua na vuvale. (It is first and foremost the responsibility of the family).”
She added that the government only supplements this responsibility in recognition of the service that senior citizens have given Fiji, including support for the vulnerable, children, and those physically and mentally impaired.
“For those that truly need more support and are abandoned by their family, this is done on a case-by-case basis,” she added.