Rabuka: Send in your applications

Party members helping the coalition Government in the ‘transition’ have been urged to send their Expressions of Interest (EOI) for permanent secretary positions.

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said this during his welcome cerebration by the Fiji Teachers of Confederation yesterday. Mr Rabuka said Cabinet ministers should work with permanent secretaries they have confidence in.

Mr Rabuka’s comments follows the Government’s sweeping changes across ministries and statutory bodies since coming into power.

Top appointments

This included the appointment of the party member, Pita Wise, as acting Permanent Secretary of the Office of the Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs. Mr Wise was appointed last Thursday replacing former Permanent Secretary of the Office of the Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Yogesh Karan.

Upon completion of his leave, Mr Karan is expected to take up the position of the Permanent Secretary for Ethnic Affairs and Sugar. Also appointed was Parmesh Chand acting permanent secretary for Civil Service and Public Enterprises.

The former PS in that role, Susan Kiran, was moved to the Cabinet office and named the secretary to Cabinet.

Meanwhile, head of the National Education Service Delivery, Timoci Bure, was announced yesterday as acting Permanent Secretary for

Education.

Its Permanent Secretary, Anjeela Jokhan, will soon go on leave. When asked whether proper protocols were being followed for Mr Wise appointment, Mr Rabuka said they were having their team in some offices helping in the transition.

“We have a transition period and team. During the transition period we put in our team on a temporary basis,” he said.

The Public Service Commission chair Luke Rokovada had earlier met with seven ministers to discuss the reshuffle and would continue to do so in the coming weeks.