Fijian Government Posts Permanent Secretary Jobs

Only 10 of the 23 sacked chief executive officers are among 100 people who have applied for permanent secretary positions, it has been revealed.

Public Service Commission deputy secretary Tom Lee said the 16 permanent secretary appointments would be made early next month.

He said the sorting and analysing of the applications would take two to three days and the short-listing of applicants would probably begin later this week or early next week.

The 23 CEOs were sacked by the interim administration last month and offered the option to apply for the new permanent secretary positions. Four of the 23 were later re-employed as advisors in State ministries.

At least one of the sacked CEOs said later there was no point in applying for the new positions because the 16 positions had already been earmarked for certain people. The commission has put on hold appointments, promotions, transfers and the disciplinary process of technical and professional classifications and grade until the permanent secretary positions have been filled substantively or through acting appointments.

The commission approved the establishment of the PS posts in a circular dated February 6. It stated: "In the context of this partial withdrawal of the delegation of the PSC's powers, common cadre includes the administrative, clerical, secretarial, telephonist and Hansard reporter occupational groups and the accounting office cadre include principal and senior accounts officer, accounts officer position and grades."

The 16 positions were advertised on January 30 and applications for the posts closed on Monday.

Interim Minister for Public Service Commission and Public Sector Reform Poseci Bune had said the permanent secretaries would be paid less than what chief executives were being paid.

It is part of the cost cutting measures by the Interim Government.