1. PRIME MINISTER RECEIVES NIGERIAN DEFENCE COLLEGE DELEGATION – Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama today received members of the Nigeria Defence College.
2. NEW JUDGE JOINS FIJI’S COURT OF APPEAL – Fiji’s judiciary has welcomed a new addition to its ranks following the swearing in today of new Court of Appeal Judge, Mr Vijith Kumara Malalgoda.
3. FIJI PARTICIPATES AT GLOBAL BANK MEET – Fiji participated at the 47th ADB Board of Governors Meeting held this week in Astana in Kazakhstan.
1. PRIME MINISTER RECEIVES NIGERIAN DEFENCE COLLEGE DELEGATION
Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama today received members of the Nigeria Defence College.
The 22 member delegation was led by the Director Higher Military Organisation & Operations, Brigadier General Aliyu Msa.
Following the courtesy call to the head of government, the delegation was briefed by the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) Chief of Staff, Brigadier Mohammed Aziz.
The group also met with the Minister for Defence, Mr Joketani Cokanasiga, his permanent secretary, Osea Cawaru. Later in the day, the delegation met with permanent secretary for Foreign Affairs, Amena Yauvoli, and the Ministry of Fisheries and Forests permanent secretary, Inoke Wainiqolo.
The National Defence College (NDC) was established in 1992 as the highest military institution for the training of senior military officers in Nigeria.
2. NEW JUDGE JOINS FIJI’S COURT OF APPEAL
Fiji’s judiciary has welcomed a new addition to its ranks following the swearing in today of new Court of Appeal Judge, Mr Vijith Kumara Malalgoda.
Mr Malalgoda was ceremoniously sworn in before His Excellency the President, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau and Chief Justice, Judge Anthony Gates at Government House.
Judge Malalgoda holds a Masters of Law from the University of Aberdeen in the United Kingdom and previously held the position of judge advocate with the Sri Lanka Air Force.
He was admitted and enrolled as an Attorney at Law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka in September 1982.
-ENDS-
3. FIJI PARTICIPATES AT GLOBAL BANK MEET
Fiji participated at the 47th ADB Board of Governors Meeting held this week in Astana in Kazakhstan.
The Governors were updated by the ADB executive director and his team on the bank’s activities in 2013. The Governors noted that the Asian Development Bank’s lending increased in 2013 from both its funding windows i.e. Ordinary Capital Resources (OCR) and from the Asian Development Fund (ADF). OCR lending increased by 10% whilst ADF lending increased by 31%. One of the major concerns is the decline of 12% in disbursement which reflect delays in project implementation.
On the Mid Term Review undertaken in 2013, the need to further improve the relevance, responsiveness and effectiveness of development assistance from the Bank was emphasized.
One of the major priority areas for the Constituency Office in 2014 will be preparations for the Bank’s re-engagement with Fiji following elections.
The Governors were also briefed of the Bank’s intention to combine the two lending windows, ADF and OCR, which is underpinned by the need to meet the large unfunded infrastructure needs of the region, achieve its goal of expanding private sector operations from 17 per cent to 25 per cent of operations by 2020, cater for the borrowing needs of 12 countries that are projected to graduate from ADF borrowing to OCR over the next decade, and be able to respond with additional counter cyclical lending in the event of another serious regional or global financial downturn.
Concerns were raised that the merger must ensure that it does not disadvantage borrowing member countries. Therefore, further consultation is necessary to ensure a win-win situation to all borrowing member countries.
The Fijian delegation acknowledged the support of the Executive Director and staff of the Constituency Office in promoting the interest of Fiji within the Bank.
The Fijian Delegation also attended the Constituency Office Meeting at the margins of this Annual meeting. Other countries that participated at this meet include Armenia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Indonesia, Kyrgyz Republic, New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga.
MINFO