1. FIJI RECEIVES INDONESIAN ASSISTANCE FOR C24 REGIONAL WORKSHOP – The Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Fiji, H.E. Gary RM Jusuf this morning gave $30,000 USD to the Fijian Government towards costs for conducting an important United Nations regional workshop on the Special Committee on Decolonization also known as the Committee of 24 (C24).
2. NAWAICOBA STUDENTS CELEBRATE NEW COMPUTER LAB – Nawaicoba Public School celebrated the opening of a new computer lab by the Ministry of Education permanent secretary Dr Brij Lal.
3. PUBLIC INVITED TO INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DAY – More awareness is needed for members of the public as well as businesses to improve their understanding of various rights and processes related to Intellectual Property.
4. SEA PROGRAM OFF TO A SUCCESSFUL START – “You are a part of this Productivity Revolution of Government and an agent of change for Service Excellence in your organization.”
1 FIJI RECEIVES INDONESIAN ASSISTANCE FOR C24 REGIONAL WORKSHOP
The Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Fiji, H.E. Gary RM Jusuf this morning gave $30,000 USD to the Fijian Government towards costs for conducting an important United Nations regional workshop on the Special Committee on Decolonization also known as the Committee of 24 (C24).
Fiji is hosting the Special Committee on Decolonization at Sofitel in Nadi from the 21st to 23rd of May this year. C24 is the UN’s entity exclusively devoted to the issue of decolonization.
The Ambassador met with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, to discuss a number of ongoing bilateral issues. The Melanesian Spearhead Group’s Regional Police Academy to be based in Fiji was discussed at length.
Earlier this year, the Indonesian Government provided close to a million dollars towards the establishment of an academy designed to boost the region’s police force. A more advanced and specialized training facility is being discussed. The Indonesian Police is prepared to send counter-terrorism and other experts to the MSG Regional Police Academy. Fiji is taking a lead role in establishing the academy to train police officers from the five MSG countries.
Ambassador Jusuf also informed Minister Kubuabola that the Indonesian Government plans to provide financial assistance and other support to Fiji for the September elections. Minister Kubuabola thanked the Indonesian Government for their timely assistance and on-going support.
-ENDS-
2 NAWAICOBA STUDENTS CELEBRATE NEW COMPUTER LAB
Nawaicoba Public School celebrated the opening of a new computer lab by the Ministry of Education permanent secretary Dr Brij Lal.
Dr Brij Lal expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the school administration, management, parents and the stakeholders for their commitment and dedication in building the new computer lab.
“I am very thankful to everyone for your vision, hard-work, cooperation in putting together all your resources for this timely investment towards the education of our children,” said Dr Lal.
“Computers have become an integral part of our lives and play a vital role in every field. They aid industrial process, find application in medicine, and the reason why software industries flourished. They have revolutionized our education system which is the reason computer education is part of the school curriculum,” he stressed.
The school was established in 1965 by a group of cane farmers and to date according to Dr Lal, the school has to its credit a commendable record of contribution in the field of education.
In his speech Dr Lal highlighted the latest government initiative in providing free Primary and Secondary school Education for all Fijian children, upgrading the salaries of teachers, and meeting most operational costs like bus fares and text books.
“Parents have to continue to play their part in providing uniform, writing material, balanced diet and meeting other extra curricula costs,” he emphasized.
Dr Lal congratulated the school management, staff, community, former students for starting computer education for the primary school children.
-ENDS-
3 PUBLIC INVITED TO INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DAY
More awareness is needed for members of the public as well as businesses to improve their understanding of various rights and processes related to Intellectual Property.
This will be a key focus of the World Intellectual Property Day that will be celebrated on April 26 here in Suva at the Government Service Centre which used to house the former Fiji Visitors Bureau.
The Fiji Intellectual Property Office head Terence O’Neil-Joyce, at the lead up to this celebration, highlighted the need for Fijians to strengthen their understanding of intellectual property rights.
“Copyright, registered trademarks and designs; traditional knowledge, confidential information, plant breeders’ rights and patents are all forms of IP. The purpose of copyright is to protect your original works of art, writings, music, films broadcasts and even computer programs from unauthorised use by other people,” he said.
He pointed out that various logos used in Fiji including sporting merchandise needed protecting from copyright infringements. He said that the amendment of the Copyright Act in 2009 was aimed at ensuring that individuals and entities are protected with copyright.
Meanwhile various assistance and information related to Intellectual Property can be directed to the Ministry of Justice at Suvavou House.
-ENDS-
4 SEA PROGRAM OFF TO A SUCCESSFUL START
“You are a part of this Productivity Revolution of Government and an agent of change for Service Excellence in your organization.”
These were comments made by the Deputy Secretary of the Public Service Commission Mr. Iliesa Lutu today as he opened the Service Excellence Awards Desktop Writers Training this week.
This year marks the ninth year of implementation for the Service Excellence Awards across the government. Used as a Productivity Tool, the Service Excellence Programme is a holistic approach that improves Organisational Performance. Agencies who adopt the framework are able to put in place systems and processes that aid them in the improvement of their processes.
Held over the course of the next two days at the FRCA Training Room in Nasese, this training course involves over 160 Agency Desktop Submission writers from various government Ministries and Departments as well as several statutory bodies. As part of the SEA Program, Desktop Writers identified from the Agencies are members of compilation teams responsible for capturing information and compiling them according to criteria requirements of the Service Excellence Awards Framework. This marks the beginning of the SEA Evaluation process as the training will develop officers to be able to write good submissions for their Agency.
Mr Lutu continued on to emphasize the role of Desktop Writers as champions for the SEA programme as well as a culture of excellence in their own organisations.
This training will include the 23 Agencies assessed by PSC under the performance assessment of Permanent Secretaries and an additional eight Agencies from within the Public Service including Statutory Organisations. The new inclusion in the 2014 programme is the Fiji Sports Council.
-ENDS-