Consumer Council welcomes the back-to-school cash assistance that will increase consumers purchasing power

The Consumer Council of Fiji has welcomed the back-to-school cash assistance of $200 as this will increase consumers purchasing power and ease some burdens during these difficult times.

CEO Seema Shandil has made this announcement after Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka announced the back-to-school cash assistance of $200 per child for families with an income of $50,000 or less.

Shandil says while they increase the consumers purchasing power, parents are able to ensure their children are properly equipped for the new school year when there are more coffers in their pockets.

She says consumers are still feeling the brunt of global inflationary pressures which are forcing them to cut back spending, even on some essentials.

The Council is urging eligible parents to access this assistance and ensure they use it in a smart and productive manner after carefully planning their back-to-school shopping.

They say with an additional week of school holidays, parents will have more time to conduct comparative shopping and plan their purchases to ensure they get the best deals and their money's worth.

Meanwhile, the CEO is also urging traders to uphold good business practices as Fijians will be out in numbers for back-to-school shopping this month.