Weeding out those who abuse welfare system
Welfare recipient Akanisi Latu, 62, a wheelchair bound vendor, has an important message to social welfare assistance recipients - do not solely rely on the welfare payouts.
Welfare recipient herself, Ms Latu, whose story you can read on page 5, submitted her recertification application late, thus expected her welfare payment to be late.
She agrees with the need for recertification, after all this is an exercise ultimately aimed at weeding out those who are abusing the welfare system.
People have died yet their relatives have continued to claim social welfare benefits.
Abuse of the system
Yes, there has been rampant abuse of the system. People have died yet their relatives have continued to claim the social welfare benefits.
In some cases, relatives have held onto the ATM cards of the recipients and have not been passing the benefits to them.
We need to be in a position to stop this abuse and where the need arises, we need to involve the Fiji Independent Commission against Corruption to take people to task.
Fiji cannot afford to hand out money to those who do not deserve it.
The recertification process gave a timeline and people needed to update their information if they were to continue receiving the welfare payments. Don’t politicise this process.
Even in a wheelchair, Akanisi Latu says receiving handouts is not an excuse to stop a person from working hard. The jovial 62-year-old, a recipient of the Social Welfare Poverty Benefit Scheme, says she prefers to work hard than depending on Government assistance.
I live alone in the Valelevu Hart and I do my own cooking, shopping, I make handicrafts that I sell, I bake pies and pastries that I Drop OFF IN Offices AND Other INCOME Generating projects. That is who I am. Akanisi Latu Open Market Day vendor
The Open Market Day was an initiative by the Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations and Youth and Sports.
She was one of the small business entrepreneurs who took advantage of the Open Market Day yesterday at Ratu Sukuna Park.
The event is a collaboration between four Government ministries and centres namely the:
■ Ministry of Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport,
■ Ministry of Employment, Youth and Productivity.
■ Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, and
■ National Employment Centre.
Each ministry is expected to showcase its strengths at the open market day.
Ms Latu said: “I work hard for a living, even in a wheelchair.
“I was one of the recipients that was late in recertifying my social welfare account, which delayed the payment to my account for this month.
“I am not complaining because I don’t solely depend on it, I generate income from the small businesses that I operate.”
She said people’s perception towards disability had always been different but: “I am a testimony that we can achieve anything because we do have abilities as well. “I live alone in the Valelevu Hart and I do my own cooking, shopping, I make handicrafts that I sell, I bake pies and pastries that I drop off in offices and other income generating projects. That is who I am.”
She encouraged people living with disabilities and those who are able-bodied to always see things from a different perspective.
“I thank God for the strength, no matter the challenges I face as a woman living with disability, I choose to look at my abilities.”
She encouraged Fijians to move away from the life of making excuses and complaints and work hard towards income generating projects to benefit their families.