SUVA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- A recent research shows 70 percent of the people in Fiji live in cash poverty, said Fiji's Ministry of Poverty Alleviation on Tuesday.
Josefa Koroivueta, the ministry's permanent secretary, told Fiji Broadcasting Corporation that cash poverty is common in Fiji, but that's not extreme poverty.
Cash poverty is when there is not enough money to support the family's welfare and demand, whereas extreme poverty is when people don't have access to food, money, or safe drinking water, reported the local media.
According to Koroivueta, cash poverty is for those households that receive an income of less than 50 Fijian dollars (around 22.6 U.S. dollars) in a week.
Cash poverty is common in urban centers, but there is a huge difference with those living in villages because they have more resources to depend on.
Another contributor is the change in lifestyle for those in urban centers, where everything costs money, Koroivueta added.
He urged those who live in cash poverty to start practicing backyard farming to help support their families. ■
