(Tuesday 1st November 2011, No:1996/PMO)GOVERNMENT SERIOUS IN FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY
In a bid to achieve its goal of reducing poverty to negligible level by 2015 Government has continued to increase its budget allocation for poverty alleviation programs .
That was the message expressed by Ministry of Provincial Development corporate services director, Mr Meleti Bainimarama while officiating at the commemoration of the 2011 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty in Rakiraki on Friday (28/10/11).
“These programs include growing the economy and improvement of food security; increasing of basic social services such as health, education, housing; improving participation, empowerment; providing equal opportunity and skills development,” Mr Bainimarama said.
There are other services that target the disadvantaged; and the poor such as prisoners, the youth, the elderly, the disabled and the destitute.
Mr Bainimarama said the State continued to embark on major reforms to empower the Fijian people, more so with the marginalized, the poor and the vulnerable of our communities.
“In this regard, Government has continued to increase its Poverty Eradication Unit budget allocation from around $160,000 in 2009 to $300,000 in 2010 and 2011,” he said.
“Other government allocation for poverty alleviation has shown significant increases and these include Family Assistance $15m, Care and Protection $4.4m and Food Voucher program which is $11m.”
The day’s celebration included oratory contest from secondary school students, brief explanations from the government agencies that displayed their work and simple quiz session on poverty for students.
The next and final commemoration of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty will be held in Nabouwalu, Bua on Thursday (3/11/11).
4 comments:
Croz
Are you actually trying to suggest that coups and military juntas alleviate poverty? I would humbly suggest that history clearly informs us that coups and military juntas do the exact opposite?
Indeed since 2006 poverty has risen substantially and work is getting harder and harder to find. And workers rights and conditions are being seriously eroded under the current junta?
Poverty alleviation in Fiji and elsewhere will have been dealt a serious blow by the determination of the Greek PM to have a referendum on the stringent austerity measures to be continued in exchange for the EU bailout. We had better ensure that we fully understand the repercussions of this referendum upon all our economies. The Markets have already reacted: they have plunged. Job creation in the entire world will not go under increasing pressure. It is already under phenomenal pressure. Wages Council orders which are already being mooted place added strain where it is not required. This is not just Good Advice. This is a warning. Jobs are flying away on a daily basis. This flight is driven by increasing government debt and rampant inflation. Wages Orders imposed will kill the goose that lays any eggs: let alone Golden Ones.
I am sure the government will succeed with its poverty eradication program. The leaders have clearly shown a lot of competence when they lifted themselves out of poverty, so there are good reasons to believe that they can do it for everybody else!
Let's go back and see what the Fijian democracy did. Both Qarase and Chodhry, using their posiitions of power and influence became multimillionaires but always whined in front of the poor as if they cared for them. Both throttled the media and both failed to make any dent on corruption. The military junta may make its mark yet though it will not give the people the freedom they abused like roadblocks, corruption and nepotism. These two would have escaped scrutiny under Fiji's so-called democracy, as its justice system was compliant and operating in harmony with the executive. Same applies to the rich and powerful like Bhika, Mahendra Patel, Qaranivalu - now paying their price for their crimes and serving their sentences. These elites were law unto themselves and rightly felt that they could get away with murder! Soon Chodhry and Qarase will have their day in the courts and pay the price, if convicted for their misdemeanors.
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