Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has described the resignation of former ambassador and senior civil servant Amena Yauvoli as a loss to the public service but says Government will not stand in the way of personal ambitions.
“It is a sad loss to the service, the public service, but we cannot stand in the way of personal progress when they have other things to pursue,” Mr Rabuka said.
He said the machinery of government would continue to operate smoothly.
“In this case, people just have to be ready to take one step up.”
Mr Yauvoli’s departure leaves a gap in the senior ranks of the civil service.
Mr Rabuka said the onus was now on other officers to step up and maintain the effectiveness of the public service.
Mr Yauvoli stepped down as permanent secretary for the Civil Service and Public Enterprises less than three months after his appointment,
Mr Yauvoli, who was appointed on May 5 this year, had resigned for personal reasons.
It is understood he has accepted a senior executive position with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) office in Suva.
Mr Yauvoli has had a distinguished career in the civil service and the diplomatic field, having previously served as Fiji’s Ambassador to Indonesia and as permanent secretary for both Commerce, Trade and Investment, and Foreign Affairs.