1. SPORTS MINISTER MEETS WITH FLYING FIJIANS – The Flying Fijians rugby team to Europe have been urged to turn their expectations into reality in order to become champions.
2. MSG LEADERS CALL FOR MORE ACTION TO PRESERVE CULTURE – Fiji High Commissioner to PNG and MSG countries, Mr Romanu Tikotikoca led Fiji’s delegation to the 3rd MSG Ministers of Arts & Culture meeting in Port Moresby, PNG earlier this month.
3. SDP WORKSHOP FOR SENIOR AGRICULTURE STAFF – Directors and senior officials of the Ministry of Agriculture are attending a two day workshop on Strategic Development Planning at the Great Council of Chief’s Complex in Nasese.
1 SPORTS MINISTER MEETS WITH FLYING FIJIANS
The Flying Fijians rugby team to Europe have been urged to turn their expectations into reality in order to become champions.
Minister for Youth and Sports, Viliame Naupoto expressed this to the team during their Itatau presentation at Nadave last night.
“The nation has an expectation when it comes to rugby, from your families, the board of Fiji Rugby Union and all Fijians,” Commander Naupoto said.
“You as a rugby player also have an expectation and this is the most important of all, because you can do something about that expectation and turn it into reality.”
The minister added that in order to know their expectations, the team needed to know their own individual capabilities and strength in as far as rugby is concerned.
“You need to master the art of listening to a lot of people at the same time and analysing the situation around you before making a decision,” Mr Naupoto said.
“For 15 people to go into the field with the constant changing of the situation of the game, you really need to be a good listener.”
The full list of players for the Europe tour will be named this Saturday.
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2 MSG LEADERS CALL FOR MORE ACTION TO PRESERVE CULTURE
Fiji High Commissioner to PNG and MSG countries, Mr Romanu Tikotikoca led Fiji’s delegation to the 3rd MSG Ministers of Arts & Culture meeting in Port Moresby, PNG earlier this month.
In his opening statement at the meet, High Commissioner Tikotikoca commended the MSG-led initiatives in the formulation of culture and arts regional frameworks. At the same time, he called for more vigilance and effective implementation of measures that will ensure the preservation, protection and sustainability of Melanesian cultures and identities.
The MSG Ministers of Culture meeting resolutions included renewed commitment to: regional cultural infrastructure and cultural priorities, Treaty on Traditional Knowledge and Expressions of Culture, Cultural Cooperation and Alternative Indicators of Well- Being Project. The meeting also heard of PNG preparations for the 5th Melanesian Festival of Arts and Culture in 2014 and also agreed that a study be commissioned to ascertain existing languages in the Melanesia region.
This was preceded by a two day 4th MSG Council of Arts& Culture meeting which was officially opened by the PNG Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon Boka Kondra who highlighted the integral role that culture plays in the achievement of greater integration in the region. Whilst Melanesia has one of the most culturally diverse communities, its distinguishable trait is the Melanesian Way of decision making through consensus. Hon. Kondra commended MSG member countries on the formulation of the regional framework for the protection of traditional knowledge and expressions of culture.
The Fijian delegation included the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs permanent secretary Mr Savenaca Kaunisela, Permanent Secretary i-Taukei Affairs, Mr Peni Cavuilagi, Director Culture and Heritage, Ms Maraia Vakasilimiratu, Senior Heritage Officer and Ms Miliakere Moce of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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3 SDP WORKSHOP FOR SENIOR AGRICULTURE STAFF
Directors and senior officials of the Ministry of Agriculture are attending a two day workshop on Strategic Development Planning at the Great Council of Chief’s Complex in Nasese.
The workshop which is designed to link the Ministry’s goals and objectives in meeting the functional review of the public service is organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and conducted by Turnbull Maggs Partners South Pacific Limited.
While opening the workshop, the Ministry’s Human Resource, Finance and Communication director Mereseini Bou said that this will train the staff for a qualitative leap into something different and better for the Ministry.
“This will also teach the staff in moving from the generalities and abstractions of the last strategic plans to detailed actions, programmes and directives that provides the parameters to audit and evaluate performance and set a motion where the Ministry can move from good to better,” said Mrs Bou.
“Some of the targets set by the Ministry to be achieved by 2014 are to increase agriculture sectors contribution to GDP from 12% to 15% by 2014, increase the value of annual non-sugar agriculture exports to $100m, reduce imports of fruits and vegetables from $150m annually to $80m and to increase lending to agriculture sector by commercial banks to 1% of total loan portfolio from the current level of around 0.6%,” Mrs Bou said.
She reminded all the officers to be committed, accountable and make good use of the available resources in alignment with the plans to meet the Ministry’s targets.
The workshop ends today.
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