Support for elderly
THE Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation will establish the Council for Older Persons as a statutory body to advocate for and support the rights of older people in Fiji.
This, according to a statement by Women Minister Rosy Akbar.
She said they remained committed to honouring, respecting and supporting the dignity of older persons in Fiji.
She said senior citizens who had been farmers all their lives and had never been paid Fiji National Provident Fund
Ateca Rakavosa has been re-using these empty margarine containers for about a year, as she places plates of on top of these empty containers. (FNPF) or any superannuation allowances were eligible for the Social Pension Scheme (SPS).
She said government pension scheme was for senior citizens over 65 years of age who did not have superannuation funds.
This category, she said, included subsistence farmers and those in the informal sector without regular income support.
For those intending to apply for the assistance would be expected to meet the criteria to qualify for the program.
She said social pension forms were available in all social welfare district offices and needed to be certified by a community leader or senior civil servant.
Applicants would also need their birth certificate for identification as this information ensured payments were made to the correct recipients needing support.
Ms Akbar said monthly allowance of $100 provided under the SPS remained and the eligibility age was 65 years.
THE processes to replace lost and damaged blue e-ticketing cards for students have remained the same, according to a Ministry of Education, Heritage and Arts statement. This, after the ministry received concerns from parents where they had been asked to provide a signed letter from a Justice of the Peace (JP) in order to process card replacement requests. The ministry said students must notify the head of schools if the current blue card was either lost or damaged and in need of a replacement. The head of school or student will call Vodafone on 151 to place a block on the lost or damaged eTransport subsidies card after which the head of school, district office or transport assistant unit completes a replacement/ lost card form and gives it to the student or parent. The student is then required to present the replacement/lost card form at any Vodafone outlet in Fiji, noting that the first card lost is free while subsequent lost cards will cost $5 apiece. Vodafone will issue a replacement and transfer credit balance from the old card to the new card (transfer of balance happens after 72 hours from the time when the lost or damaged card gets blocked). The new blue card will be available for collection from the Vodafone outlet where the replacement/ lost form were submitted. The ministry is urging parents to follow the above process to avoid any delays in obtaining new replacement cards.