$1.1m worth of farming and sports equipment

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Assistant Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Sakiusa Tubuna after a parliament sitting. Picture: JONACANI LALAKOBAU

The Ministry of Youth and Sports under the previous administration distributed $1.1 million worth of boat, farming and sports equipment around Fiji between January 2018 and December 2022.

Current Youth and Sports Minister Jese Saukuru stated this in a written response to questions filed by Assistant Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Sakiusa Tubuna.

Mr Tubuna had asked the minister to provide the dollar value of every boat, farming and sports equipment handed out by the ministry for the period in question and a progress update of the aid.

Mr Saukuru said in the Eastern Division, $184,086 worth of farming assistance, and $16,092 worth of sports equipment was given between 2018-2022.

“In terms of ethnicity and gender, 85 per cent of the Eastern Division population are itaukei, 90 per cent of the youth clubs assisted are itaukei with a gender spread of 43 per cent females and 57 per centmales,” he said.

“In the western division, $90,416 worth of boats, $191,575 worth of farming assistance and $28,874 worth of sports equipment were handed out between 2018-2022, 88 per cent of the recipients in the West were itaukei while 12 per cent were Indo-Fijians.

“In the Northern Division, $58,832 worth of boats, $278,265 worth of farming assistance and $3971 worth of sports equipment were handed out, 92 per cent of the recipients were iTaukei and 85 per cent were Indo-Fijians.

“In the Central division, $44,124 of boat assistance, $209,554 farming assistance and $21,751 sports assistance was given out, 97 per cent of the recipients were itaukei while 3 per cent were Indo-Fijians.

“In regards to the boat assistance, all clubs assisted across the divisions are actively engaged unutilising this assistance to generate income and help improve livelihoods.

“Regarding the farm assistance, for Eastern Division, out of the 77 youth clubs supported under the farming assistance since 2018, 52 are still active while 29 have become inactive.

“For Northern, out 131 youth clubs supported under the farming assistance program since 2018, 84 are still active and 45 have become inactive.

“For Western, out of the 129 youth clubs supported since 2018, 73 are still active while 56 have become inactive.

“For Central, out of the 97 youth clubs supported since 2018, 54 youth clubs are still active while 43 have become inactive.”

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