The Inter-Agency Taskforce on Beggars spearheaded by the Ministry of Social Welfare and Fiji Police has declared zero tolerance on child begging.
The Ministry’s permanent secretary Dr Josefa Koroivueta said it has become a concern that some families are using children for begging.
The Taskforce which was formed in June last year had carried out a comprehensive profiling exercise to determine the root causes of begging in Fiji.
“The Taskforce is working with Fiji Police to ensure that children are not exploited by their families to beg on the streets for money.
There is now zero tolerance on child begging and we have started to take them off the streets and place them into State care. We will not hesitate to do that again as we are serious about the care and protection of these children.
“Through the profiling exercise the Taskforce has also discovered that there are beggars who are dropped off and then picked up in the evenings. It’s sad to see that some of these are children and persons living with disabilities who are used to gain public sympathy. These were stories which were not revealed in the past but when you go behind the scene you will be able to find out the real stories,” Dr Koroivueta said.
He said that the profiling exercise in Suva provided detailed information on each of the 40 beggars and their families.
“We have all the facts about them, where they stay, the kind of house they live in, the number of family members and even any medical conditions they are faced with. To our amazement we found out that about half a dozen of them were owners of rental facilities in towns in Suva and they had tenants under them and they were earning income through monthly rent collection. We have got these individuals off the street and these are real issues behind begging and the Taskforce is determined to address this issue at hand.
“The Taskforce is working towards finding a rehabilitation facility for those beggars who are mentally challenged and homeless, these are the people who are neglected by their families and no matter how much money you give them they will still be depended on the handouts. The way forward is to teach them skills, particularly those who are able bodied and provide them with avenues to give them a reputable way of living,” Dr Koroivueta explained.
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