(The following is the transcript from Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa’s Press Conference this week.)
Good afternoon, Talofa.
Once again this is becoming our regular public statements on the workings of Cabinet and some of the activities of Government in the past week, or current issues that have risen.
DRAFT BUDGET 2021-2022
Cabinet received yesterday the draft budget prepared by the Minister of Finance and the Ministry of Finance for the annual budget of the year 2021 – 2022.
It has been prepared with the hope of tabling the budget later this month. It has been determined, now that cabinet has had the opportunity to review the draft prepared by the Minister and the Ministry, that the budget will be tabled on the 14th of September which is the date that has been set in consultation with the Honorable Speaker.
It is important that the budget is approved and passed by Parliament at the end of September, so that the budget processes and the workings of Government can be returned to normalcy beginning in October, to take us through to the end of this Financial Year which will be June 2022.
I wish to acknowledge the work that has been done by the Honorable Minister of Finance and the Ministry of Finance in bringing forward this budget.
As an incoming administration, we’ve used the time available to us to review preparatory work that had been done by the Ministry in the normal processing of the preparations of the budget, but also to ensure that some of the priorities set by the incoming government can begin to be introduced during this budget.
So Cabinet were very pleased to receive the draft budget yesterday.
Once the Cabinet had been able to view the budget, the heads of Ministries and other agencies of Government were then pulled in, so that jointly as an administration moving forward, that everyone understands where the preparation especially for the budget is at. Of course, as in past practices, the details of the budget will then be made public, once it’s been tabled on the parliamentary agenda.
PUBLIC SERVANTS ASSOCIATION, (PSA)
The second matter I want to speak to briefly, has to do with an open letter that has been published I think in the last week from some members of the Public Service raising concerns about the security of their jobs.
My office has now received this letter and I would like as it is addressed to me, I would like to have the time review the substance of the letter and to make the appropriate responses.
The letter was an open letter, it has been out in the public prior to its arrival to my office, but I think it’s only right that now it has arrived to my office formally, that I would like to take the time to review and make the appropriate responses.
I would just like however though suggest briefly touch on what is perceived by some public servants, that the incoming administration has a policy of clearing out all the heads of Ministries and Agencies.
I would like to make it quite clear through this publication, that that is not the intent of this new administration.
It is not a policy, and we have continuously said on other occasions that we as an incoming administration, we hope to work with our public servants, they are the implementers of government policies, and we will continue to do so.
Now, we have always advocated that this party puts the rule of law above all things, and the public servants especially those who are on contract and even those who are not on contract but are covered under the public service act, that everyone on both sides of these issues are covered by the law, and I would just like to give some comfort to the concerns that seem to be prevailing that somehow this new administration has a policy that we will clear out the heads of departments that are currently in place.
I think it’s important that we actually look to the specific instances where some of the officials are either being let go, or there are negotiations in process, especially in the situation where the government feels that we cannot work with these individuals and mainly the AG, the Clerk of the House because of past happenings, not necessarily of their making but of circumstances around the electoral process and the processing of issues through the courts, and their own participation through their respective positions that it is an untenable situation for the new administration to continue working with these officials when there is essentially a loss of confidence. Now these matters are being processed duly, and we have always advocated for the rule of law and we want to assure the public service that all of us, we are mandated and we do have our particular rights as public servants.
So the response at this stage to the open of the public service is that I have received it, formally now in my office it arrived yesterday afternoon, I would like to have the time to give it due consideration and make the appropriate responses.
So essentially these are the only two matters for this week, although it may seem it is only a few matters, but especially the preparation of the budget and the organization around the processing of the budget now with the parliament, has been a priority for Cabinet in the last couple of weeks. So I would like to wish everyone a good afternoon and hopefully next, we can continue with the publications with regards to the activities of Government.
Faafetai lava.
