The government, with assistance from the Australian government, has introduced reforms for civil servants.
This announcement was made by the Minister for Finance, Biman Prasad, in Nadi, in response to a question from Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Industry chair Dr. Ram Raju regarding wage increases for civil servants.
“In response to the wage increase for the civil service, how will the government enhance their activities?” Dr. Raju inquired.
The finance minister addressed this question.
“One key factor is always ensuring that civil servants are performing well,” Mr. Prasad stated.
Mr. Prasad noted that substantial budgets allocated to various ministries often go unutilized.
“For instance, we are addressing environmental issues such as water supply for Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. If ministries like public works and lands do not organize and implement plans effectively, progress will not be made.”
He highlighted that a significant budget was allocated to the health ministry last year.
“We observed poor utilization, resulting in delayed arrival of medical supplies like drugs, leading to service delivery failures.”
“We expect the civil service, including our permanent secretaries and ministers, to ensure we deliver according to allocated budgets.”
Mr. Prasad also revealed plans to establish a training institute for the civil service.