1. TIME TO SWITCH BACK – The Minister for Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment, Mr Jone Usamate today confirmed that as decided by government last year, daylight saving will come to an end on Sunday 20th January, 2013 before Term 1 of School begins on Monday 21st January.
2. TYPHOID OUTBREAK RESOLVED – The Ministry of Health has confirmed that the status of the typhoid fever outbreak at Koroboya in Ba has gradually resolved in the past 22 days, following the initial outbreak declaration by the Ministry on the 24th of December last year (2012).
3. FIJI NOMINATED TO IRENA CREDENTIALS COMMITTEE – Fiji has been nominated as a member of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA’s) credentials committee, with Qatar being nominated as chair.
4. PERMANENT SECRETARY APPOINTED – The Public Service Commission chairman Josefa Serulagilagi today announced the appointment of Alifereti Filipe as permanent secretary for the Ministry of Provincial Development and National Disaster Management.
1. TIME TO SWITCH BACK
The Minister for Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment, Mr Jone Usamate today confirmed that as decided by government last year, daylight saving will come to an end on Sunday 20th January, 2013 before Term 1 of School begins on Monday 21st January.
Members of the public are advised to turn their time one hour back from 3.00am to 2.00am on Sunday 20th of January, 2013.
“While there have been mixed reactions to the re-introduction of the daylight saving, one of the factors considered was the period of sunlight which can be productively used by the people of our beloved nation,” Mr Usamate said.
He said businesses have also capitalized on this by operating for longer hours while the public benefited from more outdoor activities, leisure and sports.
“This year daylight saving also assisted us Fijians in rebuilding after the devastation caused by Tropical Cyclone Evan,” Mr Usamate added.
Daylight Saving began on the 21st of October, 2012.
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2. TYPHOID OUTBREAK RESOLVED
The Ministry of Health has confirmed that the status of the typhoid fever outbreak at Koroboya in Ba has gradually resolved in the past 22 days, following the initial outbreak declaration by the Ministry on the 24th of December last year (2012).
Deputy Secretary for Health, Doctor Josefa Koroivueta said the ministry acknowledged the various groups that have assisted the team in their operations to control the outbreak.
“Since the first cluster of typhoid cases was reported to the ministry on 23/12/2012 from the Ba sub divisional hospital and the Western Health divisional office, there has been an intensive interventional work undertaken by the ministry of Health and the office of the Commissioner Western, in curbing further transmission of the disease,” Dr Koroivueta said.
“The 14 days restrictions on mass gathering and movement at Koroboya and Navala communities enabled the inter-sect oral team in Ba to work cohesively with the afflicted communities in order to effectively control typhoid transmission in the mentioned communities.”
He adds there have been no further suspected or lab confirmed typhoid fever cases since then.
Further assessments are being carried out in the affected areas and community awareness are carried out to better address to healthy living and ways to improve on sanitation practices.
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3. FIJI NOMINATED TO IRENA CREDENTIALS COMMITTEE
Fiji has been nominated as a member of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA’s) credentials committee, with Qatar being nominated as chair.
The aim of the committee is to examine the credentials of all representatives of members and report to the assembly at the beginning of the second day of the third session.
Delegates were represented by 150 countries, with 80 ministers leading their delegations.
They converged in the United Arab Emirates capital city of Abu Dhabi, for the opening of the 3rd Session of the assembly of the IRENA scheduled from the January 13 and 14, 2013.
In attendance at the assembly were the head of Fiji’s official delegation, the Minister for Public Utilities, Works and Energy Colonel Timoci Lesi Natuva, Fiji’s Ambassador to the UAE Robin Nair, First Secretary, Emosi Rakai and Department of Energy assistant director Pranil Singh.
Mobilizing finance is one of the greatest challenges for scaling up renewable energy and the need to provide financial support to projects that are innovative, replicable and will further broaden energy access is crucial.
The assembly is the foremost annual renewable energy event, setting the global policy agenda for the transition to a sustainable future based on renewable resources and technologies and among other important agendas, further aims to chart an international pathway to double renewable energy by 2030.
IRENA continues to develop its role as a support mechanism for members and other stakeholders, to consolidate efforts and to provide leadership to address current and future energy challenges, by accelerating the deployment of renewable energy solutions.
Meanwhile, with hopes to further aid global development, IRENA also released its Global Atlas of renewable energy resources <http://www.irena.org/
The internet-based resource compiles data from technical institutes and agencies to map solar and wind energy resources in 22 countries.
IRENA plans to add other forms of renewable energy throughout 2013 and 2014 with the expectation that more countries will join in the coming months.
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4. PERMANENT SECRETARY APPOINTED
The Public Service Commission chairman Josefa Serulagilagi today announced the appointment of Alifereti Filipe as permanent secretary for the Ministry of Provincial Development and National Disaster Management.
Mr Seruilagilagi said Mr Filipe had a proven record of leadership and administrative skills that would enhance the capabilities of staff at the respective ministry.
“I am confident of his capabilities and am assured that he will effectively manage and provide quality policy advice on rural development activities as well as matters pertaining to national disaster management,” the PSC chairman said.
As the Ministry for Provincial Development and National Disaster Management permanent secretary, Mr Filipe will be responsible to the minister for the formulation and implementation of policies and strategies of rural development programmes and activities through district and divisional administration using the rural consultative machinery.
He will also be responsible for provision of administrative support services, regional planning research and policy advice, rural development and rural housing, disaster management and other ancillary services.
The permanent secretary is also required to formulate and develop continued improvement of early warning systems and responses to natural disasters and the establishment and maintenance of Disaster Information Systems. This will include the aspect of relief and disaster rehabilitation activities, that are normally assigned during times of natural disasters.
Mr Filipe joined the civil service in 1975 as a Technical Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture. In 1979, he went to Lebanon with the United Nations Interim Forces and then joined McGowans International Consultants in 1981.
In 1983, he was appointed as the Officer In Charge of Farm Development on the Yalavou Project. Mr Filipe was later given responsibilities in the Ministry of Agriculture before assigned as Chief Executive Officer of the Fiji Meat Industry Board in 2003.
In 2008, he took up the position of Deputy Head of Mission and counselor at the Fiji Embassy in Beijing before returning in 2012 to be the Deputy Secretary for the Policy Analysis Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister.
In October 2012, Mr Filipe was posted to the Ministry of Provincial Development as acting permanent secretary.
The appointment is effective from January 10, 2013.
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