Ministry of iTaukei Affairs to continue to issue FAB scholarship

The Ministry of iTaukei Affairs will continue to issue Fiji Affairs Board scholarship until a decision is made on how this scholarship is to be administered.

This is according to Ministry of itaukei Affairs Permanent Secretary Savenaca Kaunisela.

Fijivillage asked why FAB Scholarships has still been advertised since we are trying to move away from raised based scholarships.

Kaunisela said that the issue on iTaukei Affairs scholarship has been talked about on many occasions and the Ministry is doing what it was assigned to when it was initiated some years ago.

He added that iTaukei scholarships have been awarded on merit and the ministry cannot deviate from the Government's intentions.

He confirmed that the advertisements that were out in the paper on overseas/local scholarships were the mandate given to his Ministry and it is their duty to implement and in accordance to the current iTaukei Affairs Scholarship Policies.

For many years scholarships have been given out in two categories, one for only itaukei and Rotuman applicants under the I taukei Affairs scholarships and the other only for Indians and the minority community under the Multi Ethnic Affairs scholarships.

The Multi Ethnic Affairs scholarships are now under the PSC scholarship umbrella and the scholarships are being given out based on merit.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama has stressed that the new criteria will be merit and need based, not race based.

Also the National Charter Council has recommended to the government to move away from race based scholarships.

The People's Charter has a vision that there should be merit based equality when it comes to opportunities.

Story by: Rusiate Baleilevuka