While responding to pleas from villagers on Saturday, Bainimarama said if Government handed out assistance to a certain church group, others would follow suit.

He said this could not be done because Government did not have the funds just to assist religious groups but funds for all Fijians to improve livelihoods.

Turaga ni yavusa Bucaisau, Ratu Alipate Lautiki asked Mr Bainimarama for a boat and outboard engine to help transport villagers to church on Sundays.

Mr Bainimarama said if he approved it, other churches would also ask and costs could be exorbitant.

Bainimarama made his views known at the opening of the $4.39 million Coqeloa bridge outside Labasa on Friday.

Earlier this year in an address at the 25th Asia‑Pacific Parliamentary Forum Bainimarama says his government is very proud of the significant strides they have made to address social and economic inequality in Fiji.

He says ten years ago, Fijian society was riddled with institutional biases on the basis of religion, ethnicity, gender, provincialism and socioeconomic status.

Bainimarama says while it is a work in progress, they have knocked down many long-standing barriers to equal opportunity and have laid out a clear progressive path for national development.

He says the Fijian people stand more united and more prosperous than at any time in their history.

Source

• fijitimes.com
• fijivillage.com
• Image: radionz.co.nz

The Catholic and the Congregational Christian Church schools have topped the list, receiving more than half a million dollars with the Methodist church schools getting just over $US 250,000.

Several schools which are usually recipients of the government assistance each year have been told they need to complete financial reports before the government will pay out.

radionz.co.nz