Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama said in order to remain competitive in the face of increasing globalization, Fiji must become more productive, innovative, competitive and relevant in the global economy.
“We must put our limited resources to prudent and effective use in order to yield higher returns.
“Government’s recognition of productivity as a key means of boosting efficiency and effectiveness in the Civil Service saw the re-introduction of the Service Excellence Awards which aims to encourage and motivate Government Departments and Ministries to raise their standards of service and to challenge them to improve their systems and processes and to evolve into effective and efficient arms of Government.
“I am delighted to note that the Service Excellence Awards has gone up another level and I hope to see it break even higher grounds and for the Civil Service to begin to manifest the improvements that will be realized through its determined pursuit of the goals of the Service Excellence Awards,’ he said.
Commodore Bainimarama said further reforms in the Civil Service and public enterprises should benefit the economy as Government strives towards having a leaner and more efficient Civil Service to support the private sector.
“The theme for the 2010 Productivity Awareness Campaign is “Partnering to Raise Productivity” and I believe that it is appropriate because it calls on every group whether in the Civil Service, Private Sector, Self Employment or NGOs, to come together and make productivity their collective business.
“Productivity is everyone’s business and this includes the Government, the private sector, the Civil Service & public sector, the housewife, the fisherman, the farmer and the ordinary citizen of this nation.
“We need to make productivity our business so that in whatever we do there will always be a consideration of the quality of what we provide and the value it will create for the end users of our products and services,” he said.