Fiji Permanent Secretaries now tasked to push the Charter

As we have continued to warn, the non-military Permanent Secretaries are now knee-deep in support of an illegal and treasonous military regime, against the wishes of the people who pay them.

Permanent Secretaries to lead change
Ministry of Information
Jun 01 |18:30 pm

Instilling positive changes within the public service continues with permanent secretaries progressing their training under the Executive Leadership Program

This morning permanent secretaries commenced their training on “Strategic Change Management” at the Centre for Training and Development at Nasese.

Permanent secretary for the Public Service Parmesh Chand said the executive leadership program was bringing about the culture of change required as part of the public service reforms.

These reforms expected permanent secretaries to lead the change.

“They are heads of ministries and they are in positions of leadership and so given the reforms taking place and this subject  in particular change management is important because we have changes taking place every day,” he said.

“And this will provide them with exposure and insights on how to manage change to bring about change for purposes of improving efficiency and productivity as well as sustainable operations.

“Leadership is very much an evolving subject and the roadmap we have including the Peoples Charter for Change Peace and Progress the necessity for effective leadership development so we decided at least to start with permanent secretaries in this instance.”

Wholesale changes are expected across operations of the public service which is being underscored by a need to bring about an efficient, leaner and meaner structure and to save on operational costs.

Examples of some of these changes include:

• Changes in the way civil servants are recruited and trained
• Changes in the way civil servants performances are managed
• Changes in the remunerations structure to ensure that the best and the brightest in the civil service are retained
• Changes in the working conditions for those in the rural and outer areas
• Workplace changes covering automation, process management for the delivery of certain outputs and to improve efficiencies

“We can no longer sacrifice or provide for more resources at a larger cost without seeing how best we can make improvements from within,” Mr Chand said.

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Radio Australia: Kevin Rudd defends overseas travels and Aust stand on Fiji

Updated June 1, 2011 17:05:10

Australia's Foreign Minister has launched a spirited defence of his travel schedule as he tries to drum up support for a seat on the United Nations Security Council.

The opposition's questioned why Kevin Rudd has visited Europe, the Middle East and Africa but not Papua New Guinea since taking office as Foreign Minister last year.

Mr Rudd says Australia needs two thirds of the 128 votes at the UN to win a seat on the Council and he makes no apology for travelling widely to canvas those votes.

Meanwhile he's reiterated his view that Fiji was no ordinary coup and drawn attention to the revelations of Lieutenant Colonel Ratu Tevita Mara.

Presenter: Cameron Wilson
Speakers: Kevin Rudd, Australia's Foreign Minister; Joanna McCarthy, Canberra Correspondent
Listen here.

The FNPF Symposium: Presentations

Despite all the self-inflated hoopla surround our superannuation fund's PR exercise to justify why our pension rates will be reduced, we table below the various presentations made at the symposium.

Unsurprisingly, most of the material went waaaaaaaay above what we members are able to appreciate in real english and the inevitable bottom-line, that is, what it means for our back-pockets when we retire and above all WHY we are now grappling with the issue and HOW the fund can guarantee that reduced pension rates can benefit us ultimately -- no human is ever ecstatic about continuing to sink their hard-earned dollars into a sinking ship.

Many of the presentations were just boring lectures that we didn't want or need. What was and is essential is a credible two-way conversation. 

NONE of the presenters however were brave enough to take the elephant in the room by its trunk -- that this imposed exercise is expecting FNPF members to permit new legislation without constitutional and democratic oversight such as a parliamentary process. In fact, this exercise is being instigated as a proxy parliamentary process -- it is not and it continues to be an illegal exercise that they think the members will buy into wholesale.

Kudo's however to Rajeshwar Singh of the Fiji Public Service Association who fought back against the push although suggesting that member contributions should increase is essentially the same difference. We expect to see Singh as vocal, and as defensive of his clients, when the next round of civil service culls eventuate.

Unsurprsingly the FNPF is well aware of the backlash that this exercise (reduced pension rates AND new legislation) is already gathering. Unsurprisingly also are their callous ideas under duress, such as bestowing "the privilege" of becoming members to Class 1 students -- if these are the type of solutions we are paying for, do not expect any miracles with this exercise.

A recent Letter to the Editor succinctly encapsulates the public mood of FNPF's endeavours:

Hope for pensioners?
writer : Emelita Wilson Suva
5/30/2011

In comments on Fiji One News (27/5/11) the FNPF’s chief executive officer gave pensioners a reason for hope. He made it clear no final decision has been made to reduce the pensions of existing pensioners.

I speak for many who believe their pensions are to be substantially cut.

I felt duty-bound to express my concerns at the packed meeting at the Civic Centre, Suva, on May 26 to hear about the FNPF plans.

The meeting was tense. There was concern and anger in the room, and fear too. This came through in comments from the floor.

I never imagined a time would come when I would need to speak out to defend our pensions, and pension arrangements.

It’s been suggested that somehow we are wilfully exploiting the rest of the fund members. We’ve done nothing wrong.

We signed on for pension options offered by the FNPF.

The option we each chose became a legally-binding contract for payments for the rest of our lives.

Thousands of pensioners have planned their retirements on that.

If the FNPF breaks those contracts, the consequences will be profound legally, morally and socially.

Yes, reform is needed, but there is no immediate crisis because we’re told the fund can continue with present arrangements until 2050.

Current pensioners will be long gone before that.

It would be callous to the point of cruelty to take a large portion of pensioners’ legally-agreed income away in the present circumstances.

Symposium Presentations:

• Rose Langi, Transparency International (TI) - Transparency & Accountability
• Promontory - A New Act
• Promontory - A New Retirement Savings Act 
• Mercer - Assessing FNPFs Pension Model 
• FNPF - Day 1 Synopsis 
• Fiji National Univeristy, Dr Mahendra Reddy  - Equitable and Fair 
• FNPF - Facts, Figures & Challenges  
• FNPF - Proposed Changes to Pension Scheme 
• Rajeshwar Singh, Fiji Public Service Association
• Salote Radrodro, Ministry of Social Welfare, Women & Poverty Alleviation - Briefing on State Welfare Programs and the Way Forward via an Integrated Approach 
• Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of Fiji - Regulatory Changes

PSC Chairman, Josefa Serulagilagi can't pull the trigger

You know when the illegal and treasonous military regime, are hedging yet psyching themselves up for bad news when they release their usual convoluted statements.

In taking the liberty of breaking it down to plain and simple english, they tried to reduce costs in the civil service numbers by tinkering with freezing of posts, allowances of use of vehicles and an "apparent" savings of FJD$22million was realized.

The real savings that those at the senior levels of government know the government coffers needs, can only be realized if they let more people go.

It is becoming very apparent that Serulagilagi "cannot pull the trigger" on this one. He has been fudging about on the issue since May and before that in March. Yeah we see you Major Ned Taito.

Civil servants who are in the system and getting a whiff of the inevitable thanks to this illegal and treasonous military regime, might do well to start feathering their nests and arming themselves with evidence to all the various accounts of treason, illegality and rampant thievery of the government machinery that taxpayers pay for.

PSC on target to contain the cost of Public Service
Ministry of Information
May 30 |17:17 pm

The staff establishment control measures drawn up by the Public Service Commission together with Ministry of Finance in 2010 are showing positive results says the commission chairman Mr Josefa Serulagilagi.

The latest financial update by the Ministry of Finance states there are cost savings of over $22million for the first four months of 2011 for established and government wage earners.

PSC has put control measures such as better linkages between staffing establishment and payroll, freeze on appointment to common cadre positions, curtailment of appointments for new project positions and restrictions on acting and temporary appointments. 

There are also stringent controls in use of vehicles and payment of various types of allowances.

Mr Serulagilagi said the commission would continue to pursue its civil service reform programs to right size the Public Service and bring about efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery.

The functional review of the Public Service identified measures that could reduce operating costs of the public service.

There are opportunities for outsourcing, amalgamation, mergers and reorganisation.

PSC in 2011 relaxed some control measures such as the lifting of the freeze on appointments for established staff in priority areas and engagement of project officers and wage earners on case by case basis.  

However, the commission will continue to vigorously monitor these control measures. 

In this regards, the central agencies will work closely to ensure savings and gains made so far are consolidated and sustained.

Mr Serulagilagi said the commission would work on identifying new efficiency measures such as the full utilisation of e-government and higher levels of automation.

Business process re-engineering is another approach to restructure ministries and departments which provides opportunities for Government to reduce the salaries and wages which constitute 41 per cent of total operating expenditure.

Government is not only keen and committed to bringing the size and cost of public service down but also ensure efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of services is not compromised in any way.

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