CONCERNS were raised at the Bua Provincial Council meeting this week over how a group of Social Welfare recipients continued to travel to Labasa to withdraw money from the bank.
This is despite the Ministry of Social Welfare installing EFTPOS machines in shops at rural areas in Bua Province.
Bua welfare officer Laisa Namela told the members at the meeting his office had received complaints from shopowners that recipients had not used the machines in their shops but instead travelled to Labasa.
She said shopowners in Wainunu had informed the Nabouwalu office that recipients had not made use of newly-installed machines.
Ms Namela asked the council and chiefs to urge their people to use the machines installed in shops in Bua.
She said having the recipients use the machines in Bua would increase economic activities in the province. Last year, recipients from Wainunu District complained to The Fiji Times it cost them a lot to travel to Nabouwalu to withdraw money from the machines. The ministry has completed installing machines in the postal agencies.