CAPTION: Minister Kubuabola (left) and Mr. Poul Pedersen (Middle).
1. MSG NATIONS PUSH FOR CLEAN ENERGY SOURCES – The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has urged the Melanesian Spearhead Group to consider using natural resources to invest in sustainable energy.
2. RATU INOKE DISCUSSES SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WITH IUCN – The Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola met this week with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) deputy director general Mr Poul Pedersen at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Suva.
3. REVIEW OFFICE IS ADVANCING THE PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM AGENDA OF THE GOVERNMENT – The Functional and Regulatory Review Office based at the Public Service Commission complex is well positioned to strengthen Government’s public Service reforms agenda.
1 MSG NATIONS PUSH FOR CLEAN ENERGY SOURCES
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has urged the Melanesian Spearhead Group to consider using natural resources to invest in sustainable energy.
The IUCN’ Energy Programme coordinator Anare Matakiviti presented to member countries currently attending the MSG Environment and Climate Change Ministerial meeting in Nadi . Mr Matakiviti pointed out that the abundance of natural resources that make it possible to provide sustainable energy is something that member countries should consider.
“There is so much natural resources in Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and New Caledonia,” he said.
“Within these countries there are a lot of water sources and we (IUCN) are urging these countries to make use of these resources for energy purposes.”
Those present at the meeting said they would return to their countries to carry out the proposal process as part of their own commitments to provide cleaner source of energy and at the same time, reduce fuel import bills in their countries.
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2 RATU INOKE DISCUSSES SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WITH IUCN
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola met this week with theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) deputy director general Mr Poul Pedersen at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Suva.
The meeting focused discussions on Green Growth and Sustainable Development aspirations. The meeting further provided mechanisms where Fiji could contribute effectively on these issues.
Minister Kubuabola informed Mr. Pedersen that the IUCN agenda will complement the initiatives of the Pacific Island Development Forum (PIDF) and welcomed IUCN’s assistance through this Forum.
Mr Pedersen will be attending the MSG Climate Change Ministers meeting this Friday where he is expected to provide a presentation on the same to the Ministers.
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3 REVIEW OFFICE IS ADVANCING THE PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM AGENDA OF THE GOVERNMENT
The Functional and Regulatory Review Office based at the Public Service Commission complex is well positioned to strengthen Government’s public Service reforms agenda.
This was expressed by the Review Office permanent secretary Mrs Saipora Mataikabara after the recent endorsement of its 2013 Annual Corporate Plan by the Public Service Commission.
She said that the Annual Corporate Plan maps out a clear direction that her office will follow in order to achieve its targets in 2013 with renewed vigour and determination.
Mrs Mataikabara said that the Plan is crucial for such a mammoth task as it provides the direction for a practical approach in which the functional and regulatory review of Ministries and Departments among others can be advanced to achieve the vision of “A Modern Public Service that is Lean, Efficient and Accountable.”
She said that one of the lessons learnt from past functional reviews is that the functional review alone is not enough to create the necessary change but there is also the critical need to review the regulatory environment as well as the systems and processes that would be conducive to enhance service delivery.
Mrs Mataikabara said that the functional review can bring about a long list of recommendations covering areas such as divestment, outsourcing, streamlining, consolidation, merger and removal of duplication but without reviewing the regulations as well as the systems and processes, achieving the objectives of efficiency and performance effectiveness would still be a major issue in public service delivery.
She said that for 2013, her team will ensure that the recommendations of the PSC Functional Review Team in 2011 are implemented and rolled out expeditiously in the eight (8) large Ministries; set new targets for Ministries to be reviewed; review the regulations and policies to promote business and enterprise development as well as facilitate process re-engineering.
Mrs Mataikabara said that she is currently holding meetings with her colleague Permanent Secretaries in an effort to touch-base on her new role and also to encourage collaboration and close coordination so that the ownership of the change process and reform initiatives remains with the Ministries and the change itself driven by them.
Mrs Mataikabara highlighted that the eagerness and determination demonstrated by Permanent Secretaries and senior management of the Ministries they have visited so far have been reassuring.
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