In commemoration of Civil Service Day, a Public Lecture was held at the Suva Civic Centre today, organized by the Ministry of Civil Service to complement the week-long celebration. (04.07.24)
Guest speaker and former civil servant, Jioji Kotobalavu shared his experiences serving under four Prime Ministers and the challenges that came with it.
During his public lecture, he attributed the importance of striking a balance between politics and good governance as civil servants stressing that as appointed individuals by state authorities, civil servants are bounded by laws and expected to upload the practice of good governance.
"You civil servants, you are not elected. You are appointed, as in your case, by the permanent secretary, public service commission, and when you look at the constitution, you are guided by values, guidelines, and good governance.
“If ever one day a minister comes to you and asks you to employ a friend or relative, stand your ground and tell the minister that you are bound by law to make appointments through competitive bidding. This ensures a fair application process for anyone who is interested, and appointments are made strictly on professional merit."
As part of this public lecture, members of the public will also be inducted to information and awareness sessions from various ministries. These include the Ministry of Civil Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations, Ministry of Fisheries/Forestry, Ministry of Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport.
Other information sessions include the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection, Fiji Elections Office, Ministry of Rural, Maritime Development and National Disaster Management, Ministry of Trade, Cooperatives, Medium and Small and Medium Enterprises and Communications, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.