The government has initiated reforms for civil servants with assistance from the Australian government.
This announcement was made by the Minister for Finance, Biman Prasad, in Nadi in response to a query from Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Industry chair, Dr. Ram Raju, regarding wage increases for civil servants.
Dr. Raju inquired, “For the increase in wages for the civil service, how is the government going to increase the activities for them?”
The finance minister responded, “One of the variables in the equation is always making sure that civil servants are doing well.”
Mr. Prasad pointed out that large budgets were allocated to various ministries but were not fully utilized.
“For example, we are addressing environmental issues such as water supply for Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. If ministries like public works and lands do not get their act together and plan systematically, it will not happen,” he said.
He noted that a significant budget was allocated to the health ministry last year.
“We find that the utilization is not very good, which means medical consumables like drugs do not arrive on time, and services are not delivered as expected.”
“We expect the civil service, our permanent secretaries, and ministers to ensure that services are delivered according to the budget allocated,” Mr. Prasad added.
He also revealed plans to establish a training institute for the civil service.