The General Secretary of the Fiji Public Service Associa­tion (FPSA), Judith Kotoba­lavu, has expressed concern over the frustration and demotivation experienced by civil servants due to the lack of pay increases.

Ms Kotobalavu’s remarks were in response to comments made by Par­mod Chand, a former Member of Parliament and Labasa business­man, during a National Budget con­sultation in Labasa at the weekend.

Mr Chand claimed that civil serv­ants in the Northern Division were dysfunctional, too old, and had been in the system for too long, suggesting that they needed to be transferred.

Additionally, he requested that the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Biman Prasad, investigate the staff members of the Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) and Water Authority of Fiji (WAF), particularly in the Northern Division.

Ms Kotobalavu strongly refuted Mr Chand’s statements, labelling it as both “inaccurate” and “unfair” to the dedicated civil servants who work tirelessly for the betterment of the community.

Story by: wati.talebula@fijisun.com.fj