AG raises a number of concerns with Permanent Secretaries

Attorney‑General and Minister for Civil Service Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum raised a number of concerns with the government Permanent Secretaries yesterday.

According to a government statement, these concerns were brought to his attention during the nationwide road-shows that are currently underway to explain Government’s civil service reform agenda to Fijian civil servants.

Sayed-Khaiyum specifically pointed to several complaints regarding the transparency and efficiency of human resources departments, which he said were causing anxiety and feelings of insecurity among civil servants.

During his address at the Permanent Secretaries Retreat in Nadi, Sayed‑Khaiyum set out Government’s expectations for Permanent Secretaries in improving transparency and accountability within the Fijian Civil Service and assured the full commitment of the Civil Service Reform Management Unit to work closely with all Permanent Secretaries to carry out the Government's civil service reform agenda.

He says the Permanent Secretaries lead the way in translating the programmes and policies of this Government into better services and better outcomes for every Fijian.

Sayed-Khaiyum says the Permanent Secretaries need to assume very hands‑on roles and not only oversee the day‑to‑day running of their ministries, but also the delivery of services to the Fijian people.

He says they need to be down in the trenches, and see for themselves the reality that civil servants experience on the ground so that they can apply their expertise directly to the issues faced by civil servants within their ministries and to the issues faced by ordinary Fijians.

He also emphasized the need for Permanent Secretaries to consider the human side of ministry administration and for all civil servants to show compassion and empathy when serving ordinary Fijians.

Sayed-Khaiyum then stated that the administrative staff of every ministry, particularly within the Human Resources departments need to view civil servants as their clients who they work to support and the civil servants need to view ordinary Fijians as their own clients and serve them to the best of their ability.