The Labasa business community is a hive of activity as parents and guardians flock in numbers to carry out their back-to-school shopping.

The Labasa business community is a hive of activity as parents and guardians flock in numbers to carry out their back-to-school shopping.

This follows the handover of the government’s $200 back-to-school assistance.

Labasa Chamber of Commerce and Industry President and businessman, Satish Kumar, says they acknowledge the assistance as they have also benefited from it.

Kumar says business is at its peak in the Northern Division this week.

“I would like to thank the Finance Minister for giving this assistance to our people, and through this … our business community has gained a lot. From last week, I think our town was really busy just like a Christmas.”

Kumar says the assistance has been provided at the right time for parents and guardians to prepare their children for back-to-school this year.

A father of three, Solomone Tubuisuru, says the assistance is a relief.

“I would like to thank the government for assisting our children, it is such a relief for us parents and guardians … understanding the high cost of living.”

Tubuisuru says he did not have to fork out of his pocket, as everything had been covered by the assistance for his three children.

The father of three received $600 in total for his three children.

The Ministry of Finance has paid out a total of $40.8 million to 203,942 students for the government’s $200 back-to-school assistance.

This has assisted thousands of families to prepare their children for back-to-school, and has also induced a major pick-up in business activities.