PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE, FINANCE, NATIONAL PLANNING, STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR CHANGE, INFORMATION, INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS AND MULTI ETHNIC AFFAIRS AND PROVINCIAL DEVELOPMENT

CIVIL SERVICE PUBLIC EXHIBITION WEEK MAY 19 2010

YOUR EXCELLENCIES & MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORP
CABINET MINISTERS
CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
PERMANENT SECRETARIES
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

NI SA BULA VINAKA, NAMASTE AND GOOD MORNING TO YOU ALL.

I AM PLEASED TO BE HERE THIS MORNING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE CIVIL SERVICE PUBLIC EXHIBITION WEEK AS WELL AS THE LAUNCH OF THE CIVIL SERVICE AWARDS PROGRAMME FOR 2010. IT IS GREAT TO SEE AN EXCELLENT TURN OUT HERE THIS MORNING OF DIGNITARIES, ORDINARY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND CIVIL SERVANTS. YOUR PRESENCE HERE THIS MORNING IN SUCH GOOD NUMBERS IS SYMBOLIC OF IMPORTANCE OF THE WORK OF CIVIL SERVICE IN THE DAILY LIVES OF OUR PEOPLE AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

I AM PLEASED TO SEE THAT THIS YEAR’S CIVIL SERVICE PUBLIC EXHIBITION WEEK HAS BEEN MOVED TO THE FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR AS OPPOSED TO LAST YEAR, WHERE IT WAS ORGANIZED TOWARDS THE TAIL END OF THE YEAR. THE MOVING OF THE EVENT TO SUCH TIMING AUGURS VERY WELL WITH GOVERNMENT’S INITIATIVE TO IMPROVE THE VISIBILITY OF THE WORK OF THE CIVIL SERVICE AS WELL AS ENCOURAGE GREATER ENGAGEMENT BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN RESHAPING AND BRINGING ABOUT THE MUCH NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY. THE CHALLENGE FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE WHICH IS OFTEN CATEGORIZED BY COMPLEX BUREAUCRACY AND CUMBERSOME PROCESSES IS TO BECOME MORE RESPONSIVE AND EFFICIENT IN ATTENDING TO NEEDS AND DEVELOPMENT ASPIRATIONS OF ORDINARY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.

I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TOUR MANY PARTS OF FIJI AND MEET A BROAD CROSS SECTION OF OUR COMMUNITIES OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS. ONE THING COMMON THROUGHOUT MY ENGAGEMENT WITH MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WAS THAT WE WERE NOT REACHING OUT ENOUGH IN TERMS OF WHAT WAS EXPECTED OF CIVIL SERVANTS. OBVIOUSLY, I AM NOT REQUESTING YOU TO GO OUT THERE WITH HANDOUTS OR WITH FREE BEES JUST TO APPEASE THE PEOPLE WE SERVE. INSTEAD, WHAT IS EXPECTED OF YOU IS TO REACH OUT TO THE PEOPLE YOU SERVE WITH INFORMATION, ADVISORY SERVICES AND GUIDANCE, THAT WOULD PAVE THE WAY FOR IMPROVING THE STANDARD AND QUALITY OF THEIR LIVES.

THE CIVIL SERVICE EXISTS TO SERVE THE MANY STAKEHOLDERS WE HAVE OUT THERE. IT NEEDS TO DO THIS WITH HIGH LEVELS OF EFFICIENCY, RESPONSIVENESS AND MOST OF ALL, SIMPLICITY. I HAVE THROUGH MY ONGOING CONSULTATIONS WITH THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, ENCOURAGED THE COMMISSION TO WORK ON RECRUITING THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST TO SERVE OUR PEOPLE, THAT CIVIL SERVANTS BE PROVIDED WITH RIGHT TRAINING AND PROPER WORKING TOOLS AND OVERALL, THERE BE ALL THE INGREDIENTS FOR IMPROVED SERVICE DELIVERY.

I HAVE ALSO DIRECTED THAT CIVIL SERVANTS BE WELL LOOKED AFTER AND THAT, WE CONTINUOUSLY WORK ON A SPIRIT OF BUILDING TOGETHERNESS, IMPROVED COORDINATION AND IMPACT ORIENTATED IMPLEMENTATION OF WORK TO BRING ABOUT OVERALL IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCTIVITY. I WAS VERY PLEASED TO HAVE ATTENDED A CHURCH SERVICE ORGANIZED BY MINISTRY OF WORKS, TRANSPORT & PUBLIC UTILITIES ON SUNDAY, WHERE I SAW THE SPIRIT OF TOGETHERNESS AND GOOD FAMILY VALUES IN CIVIL SERVANTS. I THOUGHT OF EMPHASIZING THIS POINT, SINCE YOU ARE, AS CIVIL SERVANTS, NOT ONLY EXPECTED TO PERFORM WORK REQUIRED OF YOU, AS PER YOUR RESPECTIVE JOB DESCRIPTIONS, BUT ALSO CARRY YOURSELVES RESPONSIBLY AND PROFESSIONALLY TO ACT AS GOOD ROLE MODELS IN YOUR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES.

MY GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTED TO IMPLEMENTATION OF REFORMS THAT WOULD TRANSFORM THE CIVIL SERVICE INTO AN EFFICIENT AND RESULTS ORIENTED ENTITY. THIS IS BEING ACHIEVED THROUGH HIGHER LEVELS OF EMPHASIS ON TRAINING; IMPROVEMENTS IN STANDARDS, ETHICS AND DISCIPLINE; SIMPLIFICATION OF PROCESSES AND SYSTEMS FOR QUICKER TURN AROUND IN DECISION MAKING; AND, HIGHER LEVELS OF VISIBILITY THROUGH REACH OUT AND ENGAGEMENT OF CIVIL SERVANTS WITH THE PUBLIC.

GOVERNMENT IS ALSO WORKING ON RIGHT SIZING THE CIVIL SERVICE IN AN EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS AN APPROPRIATE BALANCE BETWEEN WHAT WE SPEND IN RUNNING THE CIVIL SERVICE VIZ A VIZ EXPENDITURE ON AREAS THAT MATTER TO LIVES OF PEOPLE. THERE IS WORK ALREADY UNDERWAY ON CORPORATIZATION OF ENTITIES WHICH CAN BETTER OPERATE ALONG SUCH LINES, OUTSOURCING OPTIONS ON SERVICE DELIVERY THAT CAN BE BETTER PERFORMED BY PRIVATE SECTOR AND IMPLEMENTATION OF USER PAY PRINCIPLES WHEREVER RELEVANT. THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION HAS ALSO SOUGHT EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FROM SUITABLE CONSULTANCY FIRMS TO UNDERTAKE A STUDY TO DETERMINE THE OPTIMUM SIZE AND STRUCTURE OF THE CIVIL SERVICE TO COMPLEMENT GOVERNMENT’S REFORM AGENDA.

ON YOUR PART AS CIVIL SERVANTS, GOVERNMENT IN RETURN EXPECTS NOTHING LESS. WE ARE INVESTING IN FACILITIES AND AVENUES FOR MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS SERVICE EXCELLENCE. GOVERNMENT EXPECTS YOU TO SERVE ORDINARY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC DILIGENTLY AND ALWAYS BE PREPARED TO GO THAT EXTRA MILE. GOVERNMENT WILL ALSO NOT TOLERATE ANY ABUSE, MISMANAGEMENT OR CORRUPTION IN PURSUANCE OF YOUR RESPECITIVE ROLES.

THE CIVIL SERVICE EXCELLENCE AWARDS PROGRAMME RUN BY THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TRAINING AND PRODUCTIVITY AUTHORITY OF FIJI IS ONE SUCH INITIATIVE MEANT TO ALLOW MINISTRIES/DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES TO RE-EXAMINE THEIR PROCESSES AND SYSTEMS AND IN TURN BRING ABOUT IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE GOOD OF THE CIVIL SERVICE AS WELL AS TO MAKE POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS TO NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

I DO NOT WISH TO TAKE MUCH MORE OF YOUR TIME, BUT TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WISH YOU WELL IN THIS THREE DAY EXHIBITION EVENT. I AM ALSO PLEASED TO NOTE THAT SIMILAR EXHIBITIONS ALTHOUGH ON A SMALLER SCALE, ARE BEING HELD IN THE WEST AND THE NORTH UNDER OVERALL GUIDANCE OF THE DIVISIONAL COMMISSIONERS. THEY ARE ALL MEANT TO HEIGHTEN THE VISIBILITY OF THE WORK OF THE CIVIL SERVICE AND AT THE SAME TIME SEEK THE INPUTS OF THE PUBLIC FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS.

I ALSO WISH YOU ALL WELL IN OUR COLLECTIVE QUEST FOR CIVIL SERVICE EXCELLENCE.