Residents of Qauia, a settlement located five kilometres from Suva City, are finding it hard to make sense of how government policy changes and initiatives will make a positive impact in their lives.

For them, the harsh reality of earning enough to put food on the table and clothes on the backs of their loved ones, remains a daily battle.

Losana Wativeti is a mother of five children.

Her husband earns $150 a week, barely enough to cover the cost of basic food items for their family of seven.

To make ends meet, Losana has turned to fishing for eels, a resourceful way to support her family’s growing expenses.

A big portion of their budget, around $100 goes towards buying basic groceries such as flour, sugar and rice.

These supplies barely last a week given the needs of their young children.

And to add to their struggles, constant water cuts in the area forces the family to spend an extra $12 weekly on cartons of drinking water.

“The cost of living in Fiji is very high and the only thing we can do now is to manage our income and resources well.”

To stretch their limited resources, Losana carefully manages the quantities of tinned foods and meat they buy, ensuring they last until the next paycheck.

With the new school year approaching, she has applied for the government’s $200 assistance program.

She also tends to a small garden and sells eels for $20, depending on their size to obtain some extra income.

Losana’s is not alone in the daily struggles she meets.

Another mother, Litiana Vakamelei faces similar struggles.

She single-handedly raised her seven children alone after losing her husband years ago.

And where they are today is testament to her determination and resilience.

Five of them are now married and live independently but she continues to care for her two youngest who are still in school.

“We are now not paying for school fees and bus fare and this is a huge relief but ensuring food is on the table every day is hard and I think its only possible if we all work together as a family.”

Litiana relies on a small farm to make a living, selling her produce to provide food and cover school expenses.

Despite her efforts, there are days when she and her children must forgo a meal because they simply cannot afford it.

Fortunately, her parents lend a helping hand in caring for the children whenever they can.

When informed of how cost of living is playing a major factor in the lives of the impoverished and low-income earning families, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Professor Biman Prasad said they were working overtime in prioritizing evidence-based policy-making with initiatives designed to address poverty and unemployment.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Professor Biman Prasad

He outlined the government’s approach and also explained the importance of data-driven strategies to tackle these critical issues.

“We are doing things to ensure that in the long run people are not going to suffer. So some of the tax changes we did, some of the policies we brought, we can see the positive impact of that and at the same time, we have been able to help a lot of people.”

Prof Prasad said the Household Income and Expenditure Survey, spearheaded by the Bureau of Statistics, is set to commence this year.

The findings from this assessment, he said, would provide updated figures on poverty levels, unemployment rates and household incomes.

He said these statistics would form the foundation for designing effective policies to alleviate economic hardship.

The Deputy Prime Minister pointed out that the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread job losses and reduced incomes across Fiji.

He said recent policies reflect this strategy, including a phased increase in the national minimum wage, set to rise from $4.50 to $5 in April and salary adjustments for civil servants.

Prof Prasad said these measures aim to offset inflationary pressures particularly on essential goods which are heavily influenced by global supply chain dynamics and rising freight costs.

As the government navigates the challenges of post-COVID recovery and global economic challenges, Prof Prasad believes that an updated poverty and unemployment data will be crucial in shaping policies that deliver tangible benefits to all Fijians.