Cogito, ergo sum. I think, therefore I am. (René Descartes, mathematician and philosopher,1599-1650)

Wednesday 29 June 2011

Cabinet Members , Portfolios and Permanent Secretaries

The foreign media seems to have accepted the notion, spread by the anti-government bloggers, that the PM and Attorney-General (or even the A-G alone)  are running the country. That they are prominent players and are most often sought out to front up to the media, there is no doubt. But the top of the Fiji administrative and legislative pyramid is Cabinet that consists of the PM and eight ministers.   It is Cabinet that recommends all decrees and regulations to the President before they become law, and it is Cabinet that oversees all general government business.



The Bainimarama Cabinet is much smaller than the bloated Qarase government with its 30 odd ministers but it is responsible for about the same number of portfolios.

The PM and ministers are assisted by 21 Permanent Secretaries who sit in on Cabinet meetings when needed.  Of the nine Cabinet members, two are military, and of the Permanent Secretaries four are military.   With the transfer of  the Sugar ministry to Lautoka, the other  responsibilities of Permanent Secretary Manasa Vaniqi —Provincial Development and Multi-Ethnic Affairs—  may be passed on to another permanent secretary.

Here are the Ministers and their portfolios, and the Permanent Secretaries and their responsibilities, as listed on the Government website.
 
Prime Minister

COMMODORE JOSAIA VOQERE BAINIMARAMA. Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics; Public Service; People's Charter for Change and Progress; Minister for Information, National Archives and Library Services of Fiji; Minister for I-Taukei; Provincial Development and Multi-Ethnic Affairs and Sugar Industry, Acting Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources. 
Ministers

AIYAZ SAYED-KHAIYUM  Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Anti-Corruption, Public Enterprises,  Communications, Civil Aviation, Tourism, Industry and Trade

TIMOCI LESI NATUVA  Minister for Public Utilities (Water and Energy), Works and Transport

DR JIKO LUVENI  Minister for Women, Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation
 

JOKETANI COKANASIGA Minister for Primary Industries; Acting Minister for Defence, National Security & Immigration
Kubuabola2
Ratu Inoke Kubuabola  Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

DR NEIL SHARMA  Minister for Health

Saumatua2
Colonel Samuela Saumatua   Minister for Local Government, Urban Development, Housing and Environment
PERMANENT SECRETARIES
  • Lt-Col Pio Tikoduadua - Permanent Secretary, Prime Minister's Office
  • Mr Parmesh Chand - Permanent Secretary, Public Service
  • Mr Filimone Waqabaca - Permanent Secretary for Finance
  • Ms Sharon Smith-Johns - Permanent Secretary for Information, National Archives and Library Services of Fiji
  • Lt-Col Manasa Vaniqi - Permanent Secretary, Provincial Development and Multi-Ethnic Affairs and Sugar
  • Mr Savenaca Kaunisela - Acting Permanent Secretary, I-Taukei Affairs
  • Mr Pita Wise - Permanent Secretary, Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics
  • Mr Christopher Pryde - Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Justice, Electoral Reform and Anti-Corruption
  • Ms Saipora Mataikabara - Permanent Secretary for Industry and Trade
  • Ms Elizabeth Powell - Permanent Secretary for Public Enterprises, Tourism and Communication and Civil Aviation
  • Mr Jale Fotofili - Permanent Secretary, Defence, National Security and Immigration
  • Mr Solo Mara - Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, International Co-operation
  • Mr Filimoni Kau  - Acting Permanent Secretary for Lands and Mineral Resources
  • Commander Viliame Naupoto - Permanent Secretary, Fisheries and Forests
  • Colonel Mason Smith - Permanent Secretary, Agriculture
  • Mr Govind Sami – Permanent Secretary for Women, Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation
  • Dr Brij Lal - Permanent Secretary, Education, National Heritage, Culture and Arts, Youth and Sports
  • Mr Taito Waqa - Permanent Secretary, Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment
  • Mr Cama Tuiloma - Permanent Secretary for Works, Transport and Public Utilities
  • Dr Salanieta Saketa - Permanent Secretary for Health
  • Mrs Taina Tagicakibau – Permanent Secretary for Local Government, Urban Development, Housing and Environment

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cabinet papers are prepared by senior civil servants with degrees and are lengthy papers based on research and are not prepared by the Cabinet members themselves.They are expected to promote the vision of the government of the day and if senior civil servants are replaced it is most likely because they are attempting not to promote the vision of Government.

Anonymous said...

Cabinet papers are prepared by senior civil servants with degrees and are lengthy papers based on research and are not prepared by the Cabinet members themselves.They are expected to promote the vision of the government of the day and if senior civil servants are replaced it is most likely because they are attempting not to promote the vision of Government.

Anonymous said...

Over 90 so-called decrees have been passed by a dictatorship without the mandate of the tax payer. Some of the decrees are incomprehensible even to the trained legal eye. Simple put- whole of garbage is been pushed as decrees which is to be certain to challenged in a independent judiciary when and if Fiji returns to a Westminster style democracy.

Measuring Output in Government said...

It is interesting to note that the work rate of particular ministers is sometimes referred to. Now how is this assessed or measured? Those who are responsible for funding government should be informed and with all necessary detail. Pushing out decrees is insufficient in itself. Close attention to the daily detail of governance is necessary and the reporting that accompanies it. Where is this? Governments are hardly expected to report to themselves? That would be much too comfortable for all concerned.