Five permanent secretary appointments finalised

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Top L-R: Shiri Krishna Gounder, Pita Tagicakirewa. Bottom L-R: Dr Vinesh Kumar, Pene Baleinabuli and Yogesh Karan. Picture: FT ONLINE

Five acting permanent secretaries have been appointed to the position of permanent secretary in their respective ministries.

The five are Shiri Krishna Gounder, Pita Tagicakirewa, Dr Vinesh Kumar, Pene Baleinabuli and Yogesh Karan.

The Chairman of the Public Service Commission, Vishnu Mohan after an extensive recruitment process, announced the following appointments effective from December 1, 2021.

Shiri Krishna Gounder has been appointed Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Economy.

Mr Gounder has been the Acting Permanent Secretary since the departure of Ms Makareta Konrote in March this year.

Prior to joining the Civil Service, Mr Gounder was attached to the Reserve Bank of Fiji as an Economist.

Mr Gounder has a Bachelors degree in Accounting, Financial Management and Economics and a Post Graduate Diploma in Economics from the University of South Pacific.

He also has a Masters degree in International and Development Economics from the Australian National University.

Mr Tagicakirewa has been appointed Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs.

He joined the Ministry as Deputy Secretary in January 2021 and was appointed Acting Permanent Secretary in July 2021 following the death of Meleti Bainimarama.

Mr Tagicakirewa joined the Civil Service in 1994 holding various positions in the Ministry of Finance and iTaukei Affairs.

He also served as Counsellor for the Fiji High Commission in Malaysia.

Mr Tagicakirewa has a Bachelors degree in Commerce and a Masters degree in Governance from the University of South Pacific.

Dr Kumar has been appointed Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture.

He has been with the Ministry since 1995 holding various positions and was the Head Agriculture Operation and Services until his appointment as Acting Permanent Secretary following the resignation of Ritesh Dass in September this year.

Dr Kumar has a Bachelors degree in Agriculture from the University of South Pacific and a Masters degree in Public Administration from the National University of Singapore.

He obtained his PhD in Agriculture Drought Management from the University of South Pacific.

The PSC has also confirmed Mr Baleinabuli as the Permanent Secretary for Fisheries, in addition to his substantive role as Permanent Secretary for Forestry.

Mr Karan, the Permanent Secretary for the Office of the Prime Minister, Immigration and Sugar Industry, is now also the substantive Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs.

Mr Karan and Mr Baleinabuli were both overseeing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Fisheries respectively, in an acting capacity in addition to their substantive roles.

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