Government has decided to further improve the terms and conditions of service for Civil Servants serving in the rural and maritime areas by approving the payment of Locational Allowance and further reduction in the rate of subsidized housing.

Prime Minister and Minister for the Public Service, Commodore Voreqe Bainamarama said effective from August 1st 2011, the payment of Rural and Maritime Locational Allowances comes into being and replaces all previous such allowances. The payment of Locational Allowances will be $1,200 per annum for single Officers and $1,800 per annum for married Officers and is payable only to Officers who are posted away from their respective home bases to those locations.

In terms of housing, all Officers serving in the rural and maritime areas (other than Doctors and Nurses) and who are eligible for housing will be provided such facility at 4% of their basic salary rather than the otherwise 8 per cent.

The 4 per cent subsidized rental is applicable to Government provided accommodation only. Furthermore, all Doctors and Nurses serving in Districts and Rural Hospitals/ Health Centres will be provided free housing.

PM Bainimarama said the provision of locational allowances and the reductions in rate of subsidized housing for those Officers serving in rural and maritime areas and the free accommodation for Doctors and Nurses serving in District and Rural Hospitals/Health Centres is all part of Government’s commitment and plans to improve working conditions for those respective Civil Servants, thereby 112 5/10/11 PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION MEDIA RELEASE contributing to our drive to improve service delivery to ordinary members of public.

“During my ongoing visits to these areas, I had met the relevant civil servants and had accordingly undertaken to look into their plight. This decision we have made is yet another delivery by my Government to provide for those that matter most, that is the needs and development aspirations of our people in the rural and maritime areas.”

The free accommodation for Doctors and Nurses in District and Rural Hospital/Health Centres and 4 per cent subsidized rental for Officers serving in maritime and rural areas is effective from 1st October, 2011.

These incentives shall be sourced from within respective Ministerial Budgets.