The government, with support from the Australian government, has implemented new reforms for civil servants.
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, concerning potential wage increases for civil servants.
Dr. Raju inquired about how the government plans to increase activities for civil servants in light of the wage hikes. Minister Prasad emphasized the necessity of ensuring civil servants perform well as part of the overall plan.
Prasad pointed out that significant budgets allocated to various ministries were often underutilized. He mentioned specific initiatives addressing environmental issues, such as water supply improvements for Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, stressing the need for ministries like public works and lands to effectively plan and deliver on these projects.
He also highlighted the health ministry’s budget allocation last year, noting inadequate utilization which led to delays in the arrival of medical consumables and hindered service delivery. The minister assured that the government expects civil service members, permanent secretaries, and ministers to deliver services according to the allocated budgets.
Furthermore, Prasad revealed plans to establish a training institute for the civil service to ensure better performance and service delivery.