26 Jun 2015

Nauru reveals value of asylum seeker visas

5:22 pm on 26 June 2015

The Nauru Government has revealed it is guaranteed at least $US24 million dollars in visa fees from Australia each year for the next five years.

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Photo: RNZ

The money is for the island housing hundreds of asylum seekers and refugees on the island.

Nauru's national budget, passed quickly last week during anti government protests over a lack of scrutiny of government actions, is forecasting a small surplus in the coming year.

The government says it expects to collect revenue of $US89 million dollars, including the visa payments made by Australia.

An additional $US21 million dollars of foreign aid will go into the budget spending with the government saying it is putting emphasis on rebuilding infrastructure.

In other moves it has abolished grants it had been paying to help Nauruans with funeral expenses and will require parents to open saving accounts for their children.

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