 | THE FFP GOVERNMENT WHIP AND NOW PAC CHAIRMAN MADE STATEMENTS TO THIS EFFECT: Ashneel Sudhakar to Nasik Swami: "...Probably there is few options — we will let the people who are in there, phase them out, like retire, they will slowly retire out, retire off or we will advertise again for the positions...[or] transferred to the other - that's one option" |
"What could happen is — they'll all, everyone will be asked to re-apply..." - Sudhakar
Read Full Story below:
Ashneel Sudhakar to Nasik Swami: "...Probably there is few options — we will let the people who are in there, phase them out, like retire, they will slowly retire out, retire off or we will advertise again for the positions. So if somebody is, for example the deputy secretary of finance, and he's been there just because of his experience and there is somebody who is a better candidate, they apply and of course, his experience will be counted in there, his qualifications will be counted in there - so not necessarily lose their job, I mean there's no need to panic that you'll be losing the job, but maybe a better person can replace you in that position while you are transferred to the other - that's one option."
Ashneel Sudhakar: "Not possibility. The possibilities are endless — but what could happen is — they'll all, everyone will be asked to re-apply, right. Like, this is something that is not confirmed yet, it's still being worked out."
Fijileaks: Sudhakar, while demanding a retraction from the Fiji Times, had claimed that he had made no comments on the readvertising of any positions currently held by civil servants; yes, he did - he mentions in the interview (quoted above], as an example, the deputy secretary of finance, unless he doesn't consider his position as a civil service position? And, you have his master Aiyaz Khaiyum telling the media that the Ministry of Civil Service has never planned to re-advertise any existing positions or have civil servants reapply for their jobs. But read Sudhakar [ re Deputy Secretary of Finance]
An analysis of the interview transcript released by the Fiji Times proves ASHNEEL SUDHAKAR, the Government Whip, and chairman of Public Accounts Committee and the Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee LIED when he denied making no [any] statements about offers to civil servants of phasing out or retirement, replacement where appointments were without merit or transfer within ministries. The Fiji Times, fearing reprisals from Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum and his side-kick Ashwin Raj, MIDA chairman, plays it safe by declaring:
"The Fiji Times reported, as a certainty, that all civil service positions would be readvertised. We acknowledge that this was to overstate what Mr Sudhakar said. He did not say that this would definitely occur. What he said was: "the possibilities are endless — but what could happen is — they'll all, everyone will be asked to re-apply, right. Like, this is something that is not confirmed yet, it's still being worked out. Mr Sudhakar says that he made no statements about offers to civil servants of phasing out or retirement, replacement where appointments were without merit or transfer within ministries. However, he clearly made a number of comments on those issues."
EXTRACTS from Fiji Times interview with Ashneel Sudhakar:
Nasik Swami: And, you know, when these new procedures and new criterias kick in, are there possibilities of them losing their jobs if they don't qualify on merit?
Ashneel Sudhakar: "Not possibility. The possibilities are endless — but what could happen is — they'll all, everyone will be asked to re-apply, right. Like, this is something that is not confirmed yet, it's still being worked out."
What about comments on phasing out, retirement, replacement? Sudhakar says he NEVER made any such comments - HE DID!
Ashneel Sudhakar to news outlets: “The reporter, Mr Nasik Swami, incorrectly asserts that I stated that more than 30,000 civil service positions will be readvertised and that those employees must then reapply for their jobs. However, I never made any statement to that effect...The reporter also incorrectly asserted that three options would be offered to civil servants who did not meet merit based criteria. These options, “phasing out or retirement, replacement of those appointments without merit and transfer within ministries”, were never a part of my discussions with Mr Swami and I never made any statements to this effect."
"The [Fiji Times] article went on to state that three options would be offered to civil servants, including, “phasing out or retirement, replacement of those appointments without merit and transfer within ministries”. This also does not reflect Government’s Civil Service reform policy. " - Aiyaz Khaiyum's intervention on Ashneel Sudhakar's behalf, Ministry of Information press release
Ashneel Sudhakar to Nasik Swami (Transcript): "...Probably there is few options — we will let the people who are in there, phase them out, like retire, they will slowly retire out, retire off or we will advertise again for the positions. So if somebody is, for example the deputy secretary of finance, and he's been there just because of his experience and there is somebody who is a better candidate, they apply and of course, his experience will be counted in there, his qualifications will be counted in there - so not necessarily lose their job, I mean there's no need to panic that you'll be losing the job, but maybe a better person can replace you in that position while you are transferred to the other - that's one option."
Fijileaks: Sudhakar claimed that he had made no comments on the readvertising of any positions currently held by civil servants; yes, he did - he mentions, as an example, the deputy secretary of finance, unless he doesn't consider this position as a civil service position?
Civil service reforms
The Editor
Fiji Times
Monday, May 16, 2016
ON Thursday May 12, under the headline Intake on merit, The Fiji Times reported on an interview with Government MP Ashneel Sudhakar, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights. The report opened with the paragraph "The Government will readvertise more than 30,000 civil service positions to ensure that all intakes are merit-based."
The article went on to report Mr Sudhakar saying that those employed in the civil service would need to reapply for their jobs.
Mr Sudhakar has complained that he was inaccurately reported by The Fiji Times reporter Nasik Swami. He said in a statement "I made no comment on the readvertising of any positions currently held by civil servants as that is not the plan of the Ministry of Civil Service."
Mr Sudhakar also denied saying that civil servants who did not meet merit-based criteria would be phased out or retired, replaced or transferred within ministries. He said that these were "never a part of my discussions with Mr Swami and I never made any statements to this effect."
The interview was tape-recorded. The Fiji Times editorial management has reviewed a transcript of the interview.
Relevant extracts from the transcript are set out below:
Ashneel Sudhakar (AS): OK. So yes Nasik, what we have talked about today in the committee is basically on these civil service reforms. So what used to be the Fiji Public Service Commission will now become the Ministry for Civil Service, right. And what that means is that, you know we had the old belief that once you enter the civil service, you are there for life, life guarantee, life insurance, whether you perform or not, you just hang in there until you retire and you get your pension. That's all going to change because all the recruitments will now be, that includes the new staff and also old staff who have been there, they will be offered new contracts as part of the reforms. So it will be a contractual system, the duration is still being worked out, we don't whether it's going to be three years, five years — but I think, I believe it will be three years. So everybody will be recruited on merit.
Nasik Swami (NS): Ashneel, does that mean that, you know, those who are currently in the civil service [---]
AS: Yes, yes [---]
NS: and, you know, when these new procedures and new criterias kick in, are there possibilities of them losing their jobs if they don't qualify on merit?
AS: Not possibility — I mean the possibilities are endless — but what could happen is - they'll all, everyone will be asked to re-apply, right. Like, this is something that is not confirmed yet, it's still being worked out. Like, probably there is few options — we will let the people who are in there, phase them out, like retire, they will slowly retire out, retire off or we will advertise again for the positions. So if somebody is, for example the deputy secretary of finance, and he's been there just because of his experience and there is somebody who is a better candidate, they apply and of course, his experience will be counted in there, his qualifications will be counted in there - so not necessarily lose their job, I mean there's no need to panic that you'll be losing the job, but maybe a better person can replace you in that position while you are transferred to the other - that's one option. Of course, the drastic option is to, if somebody's been there without any merit and possibly by nepotism, then he goes home and somebody else replaces him. Now the bottom line that we want to ensure is not to kill somebody's livelihood"
NS: Yes?
AS: [?} not to put people on the streets, but service delivery. That has been the hallmark of the FijiFirst government, service delivery, we want that to happen.
Based on the above extracts:
The Fiji Times reported, as a certainty, that all civil service positions would be readvertised. We acknowledge that this was to overstate what Mr Sudhakar said.
He did not say that this would definitely occur. What he said was: "the possibilities are endless — but what could happen is — they'll all, everyone will be asked to re-apply, right. Like, this is something that is not confirmed yet, it's still being worked out."
Mr Sudhakar says that he made no statements about offers to civil servants of phasing out or retirement, replacement where appointments were without merit or transfer within ministries.
However, he clearly made a number of comments on those issues.
The Editor
Fiji Times
Monday, May 16, 2016
ON Thursday May 12, under the headline Intake on merit, The Fiji Times reported on an interview with Government MP Ashneel Sudhakar, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights. The report opened with the paragraph "The Government will readvertise more than 30,000 civil service positions to ensure that all intakes are merit-based."
The article went on to report Mr Sudhakar saying that those employed in the civil service would need to reapply for their jobs.
Mr Sudhakar has complained that he was inaccurately reported by The Fiji Times reporter Nasik Swami. He said in a statement "I made no comment on the readvertising of any positions currently held by civil servants as that is not the plan of the Ministry of Civil Service."
Mr Sudhakar also denied saying that civil servants who did not meet merit-based criteria would be phased out or retired, replaced or transferred within ministries. He said that these were "never a part of my discussions with Mr Swami and I never made any statements to this effect."
The interview was tape-recorded. The Fiji Times editorial management has reviewed a transcript of the interview.
Relevant extracts from the transcript are set out below:
Ashneel Sudhakar (AS): OK. So yes Nasik, what we have talked about today in the committee is basically on these civil service reforms. So what used to be the Fiji Public Service Commission will now become the Ministry for Civil Service, right. And what that means is that, you know we had the old belief that once you enter the civil service, you are there for life, life guarantee, life insurance, whether you perform or not, you just hang in there until you retire and you get your pension. That's all going to change because all the recruitments will now be, that includes the new staff and also old staff who have been there, they will be offered new contracts as part of the reforms. So it will be a contractual system, the duration is still being worked out, we don't whether it's going to be three years, five years — but I think, I believe it will be three years. So everybody will be recruited on merit.
Nasik Swami (NS): Ashneel, does that mean that, you know, those who are currently in the civil service [---]
AS: Yes, yes [---]
NS: and, you know, when these new procedures and new criterias kick in, are there possibilities of them losing their jobs if they don't qualify on merit?
AS: Not possibility — I mean the possibilities are endless — but what could happen is - they'll all, everyone will be asked to re-apply, right. Like, this is something that is not confirmed yet, it's still being worked out. Like, probably there is few options — we will let the people who are in there, phase them out, like retire, they will slowly retire out, retire off or we will advertise again for the positions. So if somebody is, for example the deputy secretary of finance, and he's been there just because of his experience and there is somebody who is a better candidate, they apply and of course, his experience will be counted in there, his qualifications will be counted in there - so not necessarily lose their job, I mean there's no need to panic that you'll be losing the job, but maybe a better person can replace you in that position while you are transferred to the other - that's one option. Of course, the drastic option is to, if somebody's been there without any merit and possibly by nepotism, then he goes home and somebody else replaces him. Now the bottom line that we want to ensure is not to kill somebody's livelihood"
NS: Yes?
AS: [?} not to put people on the streets, but service delivery. That has been the hallmark of the FijiFirst government, service delivery, we want that to happen.
Based on the above extracts:
The Fiji Times reported, as a certainty, that all civil service positions would be readvertised. We acknowledge that this was to overstate what Mr Sudhakar said.
He did not say that this would definitely occur. What he said was: "the possibilities are endless — but what could happen is — they'll all, everyone will be asked to re-apply, right. Like, this is something that is not confirmed yet, it's still being worked out."
Mr Sudhakar says that he made no statements about offers to civil servants of phasing out or retirement, replacement where appointments were without merit or transfer within ministries.
However, he clearly made a number of comments on those issues.
Intake on merit
Nasik Swami
Fiji Times
Thursday, May 12, 2016
THE Government will re-advertise more than 30,000 civil service positions to ensure that all intakes are merit-based. (Fijileaks: Was Nasik Swami right/wrong when one reads Sudhakar's reply to a question: I mean the possibilities are endless — but what could happen is - they'll all, everyone will be asked to re-apply, right.) This is a move by the State to ensure efficiency within the civil service as the restructure of public servants picks momentum. Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights, Ashneel Sudhakar, whose committee is overseeing the 2014 annual report of the Public Service Commission now the Ministry of Civil Service, said those employed in the civil service would need to re-apply for their jobs.
Mr Sudhakar said as part of the re-advertisement of the positions, new positions would be on contractual basis, pressuring civil servants to perform or ship out.
"So what used to be the Fiji Public Service Commission will now become the Ministry for Civil Service and what that means is that we had the old belief that once you enter the civil service, you are there for life, it's a life insurance and whether you perform or not, you just hang in there until you retire then you get your pension," he said. Mr Sudhakar said those who had been appointed in the civil service on the basis of nepotism had more reason to be concerned.
"It won't be like people call and say, it's whom you know kind of situation, if you know the person, you will get recruited, and it's no longer that system. "It used to happen that senior civil servants would just appoint their family members, put them in their department and suddenly promote them to senior level - that will stop." He said the recruitments would be merit based - meaning that if you were the best person for the job, you would get it and then performed at optimal level because the next person who was below you could always overtook if he or she performed better. "It's like the private sector where you cannot be guaranteed of a job that you are there, do whatever you want and nobody will take you out. In the civil service, that is the attitude.
"So when you go to the hospitals, when you go to the Ministry of Finance, you don't want a person who does not know how to serve you. We want the best service to be delivered to the people." He said as part of the reforms, some civil servants would be offered with options which include:
* Phasing out or retirement;
* Replacement of those appointment without merit and;
* Transfer within ministries
Mr Sudhakar said the time frame of the new changes would take two-three years and advertisements of positions would start soon. Civil Service Ministry permanent secretary Bernadette Welch, who also presented to the committee yesterday, said for civil servants, their expectations would be embodied in their performance agreement. Ms Welch said civil servants performance would be monitored through the performance management system and would be subject to review.
Nasik Swami
Fiji Times
Thursday, May 12, 2016
THE Government will re-advertise more than 30,000 civil service positions to ensure that all intakes are merit-based. (Fijileaks: Was Nasik Swami right/wrong when one reads Sudhakar's reply to a question: I mean the possibilities are endless — but what could happen is - they'll all, everyone will be asked to re-apply, right.) This is a move by the State to ensure efficiency within the civil service as the restructure of public servants picks momentum. Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights, Ashneel Sudhakar, whose committee is overseeing the 2014 annual report of the Public Service Commission now the Ministry of Civil Service, said those employed in the civil service would need to re-apply for their jobs.
Mr Sudhakar said as part of the re-advertisement of the positions, new positions would be on contractual basis, pressuring civil servants to perform or ship out.
"So what used to be the Fiji Public Service Commission will now become the Ministry for Civil Service and what that means is that we had the old belief that once you enter the civil service, you are there for life, it's a life insurance and whether you perform or not, you just hang in there until you retire then you get your pension," he said. Mr Sudhakar said those who had been appointed in the civil service on the basis of nepotism had more reason to be concerned.
"It won't be like people call and say, it's whom you know kind of situation, if you know the person, you will get recruited, and it's no longer that system. "It used to happen that senior civil servants would just appoint their family members, put them in their department and suddenly promote them to senior level - that will stop." He said the recruitments would be merit based - meaning that if you were the best person for the job, you would get it and then performed at optimal level because the next person who was below you could always overtook if he or she performed better. "It's like the private sector where you cannot be guaranteed of a job that you are there, do whatever you want and nobody will take you out. In the civil service, that is the attitude.
"So when you go to the hospitals, when you go to the Ministry of Finance, you don't want a person who does not know how to serve you. We want the best service to be delivered to the people." He said as part of the reforms, some civil servants would be offered with options which include:
* Phasing out or retirement;
* Replacement of those appointment without merit and;
* Transfer within ministries
Mr Sudhakar said the time frame of the new changes would take two-three years and advertisements of positions would start soon. Civil Service Ministry permanent secretary Bernadette Welch, who also presented to the committee yesterday, said for civil servants, their expectations would be embodied in their performance agreement. Ms Welch said civil servants performance would be monitored through the performance management system and would be subject to review.
