The Ministry of Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation, in partnership with Carpenters Fiji Group of companies, is trialing a new Electronic Food Voucher Card for its social welfare recipients and Expanded Food Voucher Program.
The Permanent Secretary for Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation, Mr Govind Sami has confirmed the technology will be piloted with 100 selected social welfare recipients around the country.
The cards will be redeemable at MH supermarkets Fiji-wide to buy basic food items on the lists the ministry has provided.
“There is no compulsion for any recipient to join this scheme. However, there are definite benefits associated with switching to the electronic card system. Electronic cards will ensure better, more efficient service delivery of the ministry’s food voucher program and an easier, more convenient system for recipients,” Mr Sami said.
Mr Sami said recipients would return their printed food vouchers and receive an electronic card with their names, photo, barcode and inbuilt security features.
He said Morris Hedstrom had also indicated that welfare recipients holding electronic cards would be eligible for the rewards and benefits available to all MH customers.
“We hope to have recipients using the electronic cards from October 1st,” Mr Sami said.
He has assured welfare recipients that the electronic card pilot program will not affect current arrangements with the other food vendors.
The Ministry has advised the authorized vendors to consider developing similar facilities.
“The Ministry hopes to eventually do away with the present practice of printing, verifying and distributing the voucher books,” Mr Sami said.
Carpenters Group marketing director, Mr Kunaseelan Sabaratnam said the Group was pleased to be part of the ministry’s ground-breaking initiative to improve its social welfare recipient program.
“The electronic card system is cost-efficient, environment and user friendly and affords recipients an international-standard of service to which they are entitled,” he said.
“Our nation-wide network of MH supermarkets have the technical facilities and skills for dealing with electronic card transactions and we’re looking forward to extending this service to social welfare recipients who switch to the card system.
“The recipients will be eligible to become members of our highly popular Flash & Gain customer loyalty program and benefit from the many and varied customer rewards available through the scheme,” Mr Sabaratnam said.
“They can also look forward to participating in grand festive season programs and competitions with valuable rewards and prizes specially tailored for social welfare recipients,” he said.
(L-R - Assistance Director Family Services Mr Rupeni Fatiaki, Mr Govind Sami, Mr Gunasegeran Pasupathy, Manager IT for Carpenters Fiji Ltd)