18 participants begin 2018 Pacific leadership programme training

Eighteen participants from five different organisations began the 2018 Pacific Leadership Programme (PLP)yesterday at the Regional Training Centre at the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service Complex.

Over the years, through the assistance of the New Zealand Government, PLP has produced great leaders like alumni Stanley Trief from Vanuatu Customs. Similarly, 2018 PLP participants from Revenue and Customs, Fiji Police, Fiji Immigration, Biosecurity Authority of Fiji and Financial Intelligence Unit will undergo the same training by the New Zealand facilitators Roy Lagolago, Michelle McCormack and PLP alumni.

FRCS Chief Executive Officer, Visvanath Das, who is also a PLP alumni from 2012 believes that PLP enhances leadership capabilities.

“I for one can testify for FRCS. Our organisation has vastly transformed in its leadership over the period,” Mr. Das said.

“PLP will provide training to assist you all to contribute towards regional security and economic growth, strengthening of national border control, the removal of barriers at the border to legitimate trade and tourist flows, accurate identification and collection of revenues, mitigation of illegal border activity such as drug trafficking, money laundering, trade in firearms, people smuggling and biosecurity risks.

“We all understand and recognise the pivotal role that leadership plays at all levels in a nation’s path to development, and the importance of collective efforts to bring about inclusive and robust change for the public good.

“The Programme also identifies influential individuals and organisations in the Pacific and supports them in their exercise of ‘developmental leadership’ – that is, leadership involving collective action towards legitimate policies and effective institutions.”

Mr Das thanked the New Zealand Customs personnel for facilitating the workshop.

“This partnership between New Zealand Customs and FRCS is another milestone, and it would continue to build a strong and enduring partnership between NZ and Fiji,” Mr. Das said.

Chief Guest New Zealand High Commissioner to Fiji, His Excellency Jonathan Curr while delivering his keynote address stressed that good leaders are made and not born. “Leadership development is incredibly important. Competent performance in an organisation can only go so far before they need to develop leadership skills and take their performances to the next level,” Mr. Curr said.

“We can all be better versions of ourselves and better leaders. In this programme, you will learn about yourselves. You all need to find your way into leadership that reflect who you are, that reflects your individual strengths and your weaknesses.”

The 2018 Pacific Leadership Program commences this week and is an action oriented blended learning program, in which participants will complete leadership assessment at the start and end of program and also be required to develop and implement a leadership – project to enable them to graduate in September 2018.