COURSES OF INSTRUCTION, ATTACHIIMENTS AND VISITS
Allowances for Attendance
900. (a) (i) An Officer who is required by Government to undertake a training
course or attachment outside Fiji will continue to receive salary and will
be paid such allowances and travelling expenses as are appropriate.
(ii) Officers who are required to vacate their quarters when going on an overseas
course or attachment may be paid transfer allowance under GO 408 on departure
for but not on return from, the course or attachment, irrespective of whether
he is posted back to his previous station or to a different station.
(b) An Officer who is given leave for In-service Training Course at an institution
within Fiji will be granted the following :-
(i) Full Salary.
(ii) Normal transfer allowance in accordance with GO 407 and 408.
(iii) Book allowance for full time course as appropriate.
(iv) Tuition and examination fees (if necessary).
(v) Any other fee required by the Training Institution and at the discretion
of the Secretary for the Public Service.
Bonding for Training at Government Expense
901. (a) (i) An Officer receiving training at Government expense, including
any on aid made available by donor countries and organisations, must be bonded
before they proceed on training either on pay or without pay to serve in the
Public Service or elsewhere for a specified period. An Officer seconded to
work in other organisations for training purposes must also be bonded.
(ii) There will be a standard bonding procedure to cover both trainees on
study leave with and without salary.
(iii) If the Officer is unable to complete his training through no fault of
his, then the bond obligations shall be deemed to have been cancelled but
if he fails to complete the course due to his own negligence or misconduct,
they shall apply.
(iv) Where an Officer on overseas training absconds from his course, he, or
in case of default by the bondee, the guarantors shall be required to pay
immediately the full amount calculated on a pro-rata basis.
(v) If during or on completion of his period of training at an overseas institution
and while from the Service for misconduct he or if he defaults, his guarantors
shall be required to pay immediately the full amount specified in the bond,
calculated on a pro-rata basis.
(vi) In respect of an Officer on local training, he or if he defaults, his
guarantor shall be required to pay one third of the bond amount immediately
in one lump sum and the balance to be paid by monthly instalments over a maximum
period of three (3) years or such shorter period as the Head of Department
may determine, all to be executed upon completion by the bondees/guarantor
of an undertaking in advance.
(b) Period of Bond :-
(i) A bond shall apply only for training lasting eight (8) weeks or more.
(ii) The period of bond shall be equivalent to the length of training except
that no period of bond shall exceed six (6) years or be less than one (1)
year.
(c) Amount of Bond :-
(i) A minimum amount of $2,000.
(ii) The amount of bond is the actual amount spent on the Officer' s training
either by the Government or any aid donor together with the salary paid to
the Officer while on training but shall not include the block grant/capitation
fee paid on behalf of the students of the University of the South Pacific.
(iii) In case of cadets and apprentices the salary component of training cost
shall be calculated on a pro-rata basis but shall not exceed one-quarter of
the salary paid to the cadet or apprentice.
(iv) This amount shall be estimated before the trainee leaves for training
and his total liability should be inserted in the bond as the head-sum.
(d)Guarantee of Bond :-
(i) All bonds shall be signed by at least two (2) guarantors, neither of
whom can be the spouse of the bondee.
(ii) The guarantors must be resident Fiji Citizens and Permanent Secretaries
and Heads of Departments must be satisfied of their ability to meet their
bond obligations should the bondee default.
(iii) The Government reserves the right to demand the surrender or declaration
of assets from the bondee/guarantors as a measure to assist in the recovery
of any sum which might become due to Government.
e) Transfer of Bond :-
(i) All applications requesting the transfer of bonds from the Public Service
to a statutory body or Government controlled company must be made to the Secretary
for the Public Service for consideration and decision before an Officer is
permitted to leave the Service.
(ii) In the event of a transfer of bond to other organisations, a supplementary
bond must be entered into between the bondee, the Government and the recipient
institution on the tenure of service at that Institution outlining the safeguards
that are to be invoked should the bondee decide to leave before the bond period
expires.
(f) Bendee wishing to depart from Fiji :-
(i) A bondee who wishes to leave the country must notify the Secretary for
the Public Service. If approved he may be called upon to pay immediately the
full bond amount in one lump sum.
(g) Responsibility for Completion of Bond Forms :-
(i) Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments shall be responsible for
the completion of the bonds in respect of their Officers and to ensure that
two(2) completed bond forms are sent to PSC, one retained by the Department
and one by the Officer.
(ii) Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments are to ensure that a satisfactory
arrangement is made by an Officer to repay his bond obligations by signing
an appropriate undertaking prior to acceptance of resignation or termination
of his appointment from the Service.
(iii) Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments are to keep an up-to-date
list on all Officers currently on bond including the names and current addresses
of their guarantors. A copy of this list must be provided to the Secretary
for the Public Service who will inform the Immigration and Police Departments
and Foreign Embassies so that appropriate administrative/legal actions may
be pursued should bonded Officers or guarantors appear to be about to leave
the country.
Course Report
902. (a) An Officer who undertakes a course of instruction, attachment or
visit shall submit a report in duplicate to the Secretary for the Public Service
through his Head of Department.
(b) Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments should examine the recommendations
in the report and, wherever possible advise the Secretary for the Public Service
accordingly.
Courses Taken before Appointment
903. When a person attends a course as a Government sponsored trainee before
being appointed to the Service any payments in respect of the course will
be regarded as an allowances and not as salary.
Correspondence Courses (Certificate, Diploma, Degrees)
904. (a) An Officer who, with the prior approval of the Secretary for the
Public Service takes a correspondence course which it is considered of value
to him in his work, or which is taken at the request of Government, will be
eligible for :-
(i) An advance of salary to cover (the cost of the course at the usual rate
of interest repayable over 12 months.
(ii) On successful completion of the course, a refund of half the cost of
it, plus half the interest charged on the advance.
(b) Application for refund should be submitted with supportive evidence to
the Secretary for the Public Service.