Fiji public servants warned of the danger

of 'localisation for its own sake'

From a Suva correspondent

Extract from Fiji civil service personnel management report: “It has been seriously suggested that the reporting officer is affected by the phases of the moon, and there is some evidence of this. . .

Just how the gentleman in question was affected by lunar activity was left to the reader’s imagination. If it hadn’t such disturbing implications, the comment might have helped to introduce an amusing note into the recent report of the Fiji Public Service Commission.

As it was however, the report—for 1970—revealed some astonishing and serious irregularities within Fiji’s civil service.

The commission expressed itself as “appalled” by the growth rate of the service—more than 70 per cent, over the past eight years. At the end of last year, 8,393 officers were on the payroll.

The commission was also “appal led” by the fact that only two out of 155 civil servants were able to pass an internal civil service examina tion for executive officers.

Other areas of concern included the “alarming” promotion ratio of one Fijian to two Indians in the “non-commissioned officer” ranks of the service; the serious lack of reasonably well-qualified Fijians compared with Indian candidates for entry into the service; and the “many commonplace and unwarranted acts of commission or omission” with regard to in-service reports made on personnel.

Typical of the conflicting informa tion contained in some personnel reports was that cited in the case of the reporting officer alleged to be affected by the moon.

Having turned in a thoroughly bad report on one of his juniors (describing him as hot-tempered, slow and with a very flexible con science), the reporting officer had then recommended him as fit for promotion in normal turn and re commended him for an additional increment.

In another section of the report, the reporting officer described his subordinate as “of heavy drinking habits . . . will not do more than normal routine duties . . . usually tired-looking and slow”.

His opinion was not shared by the counter-signing officer, who claimed that the junior was “efficient, reliable and of sober habits”.

Incredibly, the report containing such conflicting information was merely initialled by the department head—who stated later that he con sidered the reporting officer to be “quite a problem”, a reasonably good worker but difficult in staff relation ships.

The department head continued: “It has been seriously suggested that the reporting officer is affected by the phases of the moon and there is some evidence of this.”

He hadn’t included any of his own opinions in the confidential report, he added, because the forms didn’t provide for it.

This case was one among nine pages of examples of personnel peculiarities cited by the commis sion following the observation that it was “probably true to say that a government is as good as its Public Service”.

While Fiji’s public service com pared favourably with those of other developing countries, the commission said, there was no reason whatever for complacency. Swift and effective action in changing attitudes was needed.

The huge growth rate during the past eight years could not be justified by developments during that period, or in the light of Fiji’s present economic state.

At a time of inflation (which existed to a serious degree in Fiji) a government normally examined its recruitment and staffing policies, with a view to slowing down the former and streamlining the latter.

Fiji couldn’t afford to have a public service other than one strictly tailored to its needs—and certainly not one whose average annual increase was in the order of nine per cent.

The commission said the only way to maintain a rough numerical balance between Fijians and Indians (as required in Fiji’s Constitution) was to continue the policy of accept ing Fijian applicants who were less qualified than Indian applicants. It was an undeniable fact that Indians seemed better equipped to pass examinations than did Fijians.

The report showed that the per centage of posts held by Indians increased from 34.2 per cent, in 1962 to 42.1 per cent, last year.

The percentage held by Fijians increased from 44.6 per cent, in 1962 to 48 per cent, in 1968, but dropped again to 46.3 last year.

While more Fijians overall are at present employed in the service, the promotion and recruitment pattern indicates an almost certain reversal of the trend in future years.

Of the total of 1,084 persons ap pointed to the service in 1970, 126 (or 11.6 per cent.) were Europeans; 445 (41.2 per cent.) were Fijians; 494 (45.5 per cent.) were Indians and 19 (1.7 per cent.) were of other races.

The commission stressed that the present system of in-service training was “totally inadequate” all round and that special attention should be paid to the training of Fijian junior and middle level officers doing clerical and administrative work.

The report gave evidence of the speed of localisation in the service.

The number of officers recruited over seas dropped from 492 in 1967 to 405 last year. This represented 4.8 per cent, of the 8,393 officers in the service compared with 7.1 per cent, in 1961. The number of permanent and pensionable officers had drop ped from 235 in 1962 to 90 last year.

In 1968, eight senior European officers on high salary scales retired and last year 16 in similar positions retired.

Nine ministries or departments had been completely localised by the end of last year.

The commission doubted whether the same pace of localisation could be pursued much further—it seemed clear that some posts would have to be filled by expatriates for some time.

To pursue localisation simply as a matter of policy would be to pursue it for its own sake, rather than in the best interests of the country,’ it declared.