The Public Service Commission chairman Josefa Serulagilagi, has announced the appointments of Subhas Chandra and Evisake Kedrayate as new members of the Public Service Disciplinary Tribunal (PSDT).

Mr Chandra and Mrs Kedrayate replace Wing Kangwai and Jack Valentine. Aminiasi Katonivualiku will remain as PSDT chairman.

In announcing the appointments, the PSC chairman said both Mr Chandra and Mrs Kedrayate had a lot of experience with civil service operational procedures, terms and conditions of employment and management policies.

Mrs Kedrayate spent 37 years in the civil service having started as a clerical officer with the Ministry of Health in 1972.

She later was promoted to the PSC to the post of executive officer and moved up to director level when in 2002 she was appointed to head the Management Improvement Division.

In 2004, Mrs Kedrayate was transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and took up the post of counsellor at the Fiji High Commission in Canberra.

In January 2009, she took up the post of director corporate services in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and retired from the service in April 2009.

Mr Chandra began his civil service career in 1972 at the Ministry of Education when he started as a clerical officer.

He rose through the ranks from executive officer in 1983 to the position of principal administrative officer in 1999.

He served in various ministries and departments including education, marine, information, finance, transport and civil aviation, housing and urban development, forests and the PSC.

In 2002, Mr Chandra was appointed to the position of director employee relations with the PSC and later in 2005 was director of the Department of Multi Ethnic Affairs.

Mr Chandra was promoted to the position of permanent secretary for Youth, Sports, Productivity and Employment Opportunities in 2007. He resigned from the service in 2008.

The appointment of Mr Chandra and Mrs Kedrayate is for a period of three years and is effective from August 6, 2012.

The role of the PSDT is to hear all disciplinary charges referred to it by the PSC.

It gives the opportunity to the person, who has been charged with disciplinary offence to be heard and the Tribunal using principles of fairness and natural justice, compiles its proceedings and recommendations for determination by the commission.

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The Public Service Commission is pleased to announce a number of Senior Executive Service [SES] appointments as part of its efforts to re-organise and strengthen the work of respective ministries, departments and agencies.  

The PSC chairman Mr Josefa Serulagilagi said these appointments had been made following the due process with concurrence of the Prime Minister as is required under the State Services Decree, 2009.  

In this regards, the following appointments have been made:

·   Mr Manasa Vaniqi as Permanent Secretary for Sugar in light of Prime Minister’s decision to establish a dedicated ministry for the sugar industry.

·   Lt. Col. Inia Seruiratu, being promoted to act as Permanent Secretary for Provincial Development and National Disaster Management.

·   Major Ilai Moceica to take over the post of Commissioner Northern on an acting basis.  Major Moceica was the Commanding Officer for the RFMF Force Training Group and has extensive experience in all matters pertaining to military operations and training.

Both the above positions will be advertised to allow substantive appointments to be made through the due process.

·   Mr Peni Ratumaitavuki re-appointed as Commissioner Central following his re-engagement upon reaching the retirement age.

·   Major Ned Taito as CWM Hospital general manager .  Major Taito held the post of Director Finance and Logistics and Acquisition at the RFMF.  Prior to this, he was the RFMF Chief Staff Officer and Human Resources.  He also served as a team leader in the recent Functional Review Team covering the Ministry of Health.

Mr Serulagilagi said appointees possessed the requisite knowledge, skills and experience required for such SES level positions.  

He said the PSC was confident they would contribute immensely to achievement of the required reforms as well as work program as set out in respective Strategic and Corporate Plans of the ministries and departments concerned.   

The appointments are effective immediately.