SUVA, April 12 (Xinhua) -- The poverty rate in the South Pacific island nation of Fiji now stands at 29.9 percent.
According to Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC), Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said on Monday that the current poverty rate is a massive drop compared to the last 20 years.
This has only been possible due to the various assistance provided by the Fijian government, he said, adding that a number of programs have been implemented by the Fijian government to assist ordinary Fijians in an effort to address the poverty issue.
According to the prime minister, the fight against poverty in the island nation is one of the main focus of the Fijian government. This includes the establishment of certain government initiatives to help those that fall under this category. The Fijian government provided financial assistance to those who lost their jobs due to COVID-19 and has spent 120 million Fijian dollars (about 58.1 million U.S. dollars).
The government is also lending a hand to various businesses affected by the pandemic. These are some of the ways the Fijian government works to ensure that no one is left behind.
He said that relevant assistance is being provided to those affected by the COVID crisis and the recent natural disasters caused by the tropical cyclones.
Fiji is a nation with a population of around 900,000. The COVID-19 has seriously impacted upon the Fijian economy which contracted by 19 percent last year. Enditem
