The Assistant Minister for iTaukei Affairs Selai Adimaitoga yesterday reminded the employees that they needed to identify as an area of importance to focus on. She was speaking at the Operational Planning Workshop at the Holiday Inn Suva.

Ms Adimiatoga said that they should understand that in order for them to be successful they had to be selective.

“We must use this opportunity to put forward innovative remedies to enhance creativity amongst our society,” she said.

She said there was a need to analyse how public resources were used and advice on how resource allocation could be redirected towards the National Development Plan (NDP) priorities.

“We must help our Government weigh the trade-offs and make the difficult but necessary choices.”

Various experts, she said would join them and discussions would focus on economy and social transformation and information, to identify priorities, and agreed on methods of working in building up a vibrant Annual Operation Plan for iTaukei Affairs.

She said to be appointed to any task in the service of their country was an honour that only a few had, but it came with a great deal of expectations.

Their customers, the iTaukei, she said, were in a quandary because of the fast pace of change that had overtaken their society, and that was the reason they were at the workshop.

“This is an opportunity to introduce your units and talk about your expectations, professional interests, as well as give us all here a sense of the contribution we can expect from each Unit Head, and how the policies we develop will advise Government, on how best we can serve the interests of the iTaukei people.”

She said that during their deliberation they would reflect on broader developments and trends locally as well as globally that impacted on the implementation of the NDP.

“The sessions are also intended to reflect on fault lines in the society with the view to inform the setting of priorities that the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs will pursue.”

Government and the iTaukei people in particular, she said, were looking for that sense of direction and the processes and systems to contribute to the building of the nation.

“It is for this reason that our mandate is to promote and advance the implementation of the NDP.”

This, she said, meant that they were expected to gather the best knowledge in order to advise the iTaukei and their institutions on how to implement the NDP, in reaching the poorest and the most vulnerable in society, and promote sustainable goals amongst the iTaukei so none were left behind.

Edited by Susana Tuilau

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