Suva, Oct 30 (IANS): The Fijian government has allocated 40 million Fijian dollars (around 17.5 million US dollars) in the 2025 budget to continue its Back-to-School Support Programme, reaffirming its commitment to assisting families with educational expenses.

Families earning a combined annual income of 50,000 Fijian dollars (around 22,000 US dollars) or less, with children from early childhood education up to Year 13, are eligible for the assistance, Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) reported on Wednesday, Xinhua reported.

According to Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Biman Prasad, the payments will begin from January next year.

The programme, first introduced last year, aims to ease the financial burdens of the above-mentioned families, especially after the holiday season.

More than 436,000 students benefited from this programme over the last two years, with a total payout of 87.2 million Fijian dollars (around 38.2 million US dollars), the FBC report said.