In the latest round of appointments to state boards and statutory bodies, the Ministry of Public Enterprises has named a slate of new directors and chairs intended to bolster governance and strategic oversight across a range of government-owned entities.
The headline appointment is Filimone Waqabaca as Chair of Investment Fiji, the government’s investment promotion agency, with Kamlesh Kumar joining the agency’s board. The ministry said the appointments followed a transparent selection process to identify qualified professionals to guide organisations pivotal to attracting investment and supporting economic growth.
Other appointments announced on [today/the ministry’s statement] span broadcasting, forestry, food processing, agriculture, fisheries, transport and housing. Vineeta Nand has been named to the board of the Fijian Broadcasting Corporation. Ritesh Singh joins Fiji Hardwood Corporation, and Harminder Singh has been appointed to Food Processors Fiji. Three directors have been named to Fiji Rice Limited: Jitendra Kumar, Dr. Nividita Chand and Anil Prasad. Supreena Naidu was appointed to the Yaqara Pastoral Company board.
The Fiji Meat Industry Board has strengthened its membership with the appointments of Dr. Poasa Tabuaciri, Vishalni Kumaran and Soro Toutou. The Pacific Fishing Company board will include Rajjat Chaudhary and Ashley Singh. For the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji, Kirti Sharma and Rajendra Dass were named, while the Housing Authority board welcomes Ben Naidu and Asheesh Dayal.
Several appointments were also made across public service housing and transport bodies. Krishneel Ram, Xiaozhang Du and Loi Turaga were named to the Public Rental Board. Lawrence Kumar has been appointed to the Land Transport Authority, and Viren Kapadia joins the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji.
The ministry framed the exercise as a step to strengthen corporate governance across state-owned enterprises and statutory bodies, ensuring boards have the expertise required to deliver strategic direction, performance oversight and accountability. “These appointments are intended to enhance governance and strategic oversight within these entities so they can operate effectively in support of Fiji’s economic growth and national development,” the ministry said in its announcement.
State-owned enterprises and statutory boards in Fiji play central roles in service delivery and economic activity, from promoting foreign investment and managing national infrastructure to providing regulatory oversight in aviation, maritime safety and food production. The ministry’s statement did not provide biographical details for the appointees or fixed terms for their appointments, but said the selection process prioritised professional qualifications and experience relevant to each board’s mandate.
This batch of appointments is the latest activity by the Ministry of Public Enterprises to refresh leadership across government bodies. Observers will be watching for how the new boards set priorities and work with executive management to address operational challenges, improve performance and attract private and foreign investment where relevant.
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