Public Service Commission chair Luke Rokovada has announced the appointment of Raijeli Taga as the new acting Permanent Secretary of the Office of the Prime Minister. Taga takes over from Pita Wise, who resigned last week for personal reasons.
Rokovada confirmed the appointment after a meeting with Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka at Government Buildings in Suva. He mentioned that Dr. Taga is currently transitioning with the new Permanent Secretary for Lands, Paula Cirikiyasawa, for a period of two weeks before officially beginning her role at the Office of the Prime Minister.
During this transition, Parmesh Chand, the Permanent Secretary for Civil Service, will serve as acting Permanent Secretary for the next two weeks.
Dr. Taga, a graduate of Dudley High School and the University of the South Pacific, earned her Master of Philosophy in Medical Science from the University of Queensland in 2010 and completed her Doctor of Philosophy in Mining Engineering in 2016. She was honored as the University of Queensland’s International Alumnus of the Year in 2023 for her remarkable contributions to Pacific Island development, sustainability, gender equality, environmental health, and work with Indigenous communities.
Having been the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources since June 2020, Dr. Taga has dedicated 31 years to the Ministry and hails from Beqa. Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources Filimoni Vosarogo praised her achievements, noting that Taga serves as an inspiration for young girls in her community. Her significant contributions include leading the reform of the Fiji Employment Relations Act to eliminate Section 88, which restricted women’s employment in underground mines. This bill was passed on International Women’s Day and marked a significant milestone for women, earning Taga the Women in Business ‘Executive Woman of the Year Award’ for the Public Sector in 2018.