The permanent secretary for Foreign Affairs, Dr Raijeli Taga, who heads the ministry responsible for managing Fiji’s diplomatic missions, has applied for the position of Fiji’s High Commissioner to New Zealand.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka confirmed the development yesterday, saying several applicants had been shortlisted.
“She has already applied,” he said during an interview at Burerua Village in Tailevu.
“Her name is on the shortlist, and this will be decided when the position becomes vacant when Ratu Inoke comes back.”
He said a final decision would be made once the current high commissioner, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, returns to Fiji.
Before her appointment as permanent secretary for Foreign Affairs, Dr Taga served as permanent secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, a position she took up in September last year.
She previously served as permanent secretary for Lands and Mineral Resources after her 2020 appointment.
Dr Taga holds a PhD in Mining Engineering in the field of Environmental Toxicology from the University of Queensland.
The Prime Minister’s comments come amid renewed public discussion on the representation of women in senior diplomatic roles.
Fiji has historically appointed only a small number of female high commissioners and ambassadors, despite many women holding senior leadership positions across the public service.
The Fiji High Commission in Wellington is one of Fiji’s most strategically significant overseas missions.
It manages political, trade, labour mobility and consular matters for thousands of Fijians living in Aotearoa.
A formal announcement is expected once the selection panel completes its assessment.
