Our reforms have enabled a more modern civil service – PM

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says their reforms have enabled a more modern civil service while SODELPA MP Niko Nawaikula says the Open Merit Recruitment System has failed them.

While contributing to the Review of the Public Service Commission Annual Report 2014, Bainimarama says they have fully transformed decades of neglect in human resourcing across the civil service and this has led them to recruiting people based on merit and equal opportunity.

The Prime Minister says they have ensured high performers are retained and rewarded accordingly.

Bainimarama says his government believes that in order to better serve the interest of the public, it must first serve the interest of its own staff.

SODELPA MP Niko Nawaikula says civil servants do not have the security of employment and this is because of three year contracts.

Minister for Civil Service, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum then raised a point of order and said some civil servants get three year contracts but a number of civil servants get five year contracts.

He says when a person is appointed to a particular position, they are generally given three year contracts like majority of the people in the private sector who are also given three year contracts and subsequently upon the completion of the three years, they are getting automatic extension if they reapply and if they have performed well.

Nawaikula says three and five years does not give any security.