The Fijian Government has, to date, worked with its financial sector to restructure over $3.4billion in loans, freeing businesses and families from mandatory monthly loan repayments.

Attorney-General Aiyaz-Sayed-Khaiyum said in his national budget address held this hour in Parliament that 86,000 Fijians had accessed relief payments from their Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF) general accounts in phase one of unemployment benefits.

He said another 26,000 were now accessing relief payments in phase two.

“Over $62million has been paid out to the affected Fijians, with the Government stepping in with around $12million to top-up accounts to ensure that full payments were delivered to all who qualified,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.

He said the third phase of unemployment relief would be funded by the Government with another $20m.