Luke Rokovada, the chairperson of the Public Service Commission, has announced the appointment of Raijeli Taga as the new acting Permanent Secretary for the Office of the Prime Minister. Taga succeeds Pita Wise, who resigned last week for personal reasons.
Mr. Rokovada confirmed the appointment after meeting with Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka at Government Buildings in Suva. He noted that Dr. Taga will spend the next two weeks transitioning with the new Permanent Secretary for Lands, Paula Cirikiyasawa, before officially starting at the Office of the Prime Minister.
During this interim period, Parmesh Chand, the PS for Civil Service, will temporarily assume Taga’s previous role.
Dr. Taga, who hails from Beqa, is a former student of Dudley High School and an alumnus of the University of the South Pacific. She earned her Master’s degree in Medical Science from the University of Queensland, Australia, in 2010, followed by a Ph.D. in Mining Engineering in 2016. In recognition of her contributions to Pacific Island development, she was honored as the University of Queensland International Alumnus of the Year in 2023.
Dr. Taga has worked for the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources since June 2020, boasting an impressive 31-year tenure. Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources, Filimoni Vosarogo, praised her achievements, highlighting her as an inspiration for young girls in villages. He commended her academic accomplishments and noted her significant impact in a field traditionally dominated by men.
She played a crucial role in reforming the Fiji Employment Relations Act, successfully removing a provision that prohibited women from working in underground mines. This pivotal legislation was enacted on International Women’s Day and represented a significant victory for women’s rights. In 2018, she received the Women in Business ‘Executive Woman of the Year Award’ for her contributions to the public sector.