There is a need to revise the allowances of civil servants engaged in field work, says Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management finance director Losana Tarau.

Ms Tarau told a Fiji Public Service Association climate change capacity-building and strategic planning workshop yesterday.

H said that ministry staff had relayed their concerns to her regarding the issue.

She questioned Ministry of Employment’s technical officer Rosalia Valeova on what actions were being taken to review the relevant legislation.

“My ministry provides emergency water to rural areas during these movements. We have noticed that allowances for field workers have remained unchanged for years,” Ms Tarau said.

“What is being done with the existing legislation? This matter requires urgent attention.

“We need to prioritise the revision of these allowances for our workers.”

Ms Tarau said the issue was persistent and needed to be addressed and revised.

“I will just give one example of staff moving to the islands in a boat, they are going on board a barge. In the General Orders, it says ship, so they are given the allowances for a ship, but not given the allowances of a barge.”

Ms Tarau said by the time the staff arrived at the location where they were intended to provide assistance, they were already compromised by illness, rendering them physically incapable of offering adequate support.