All Government ministries and departments must now obtain Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s approval before issuing any media statements or press releases.
The directive is contained in Circular 21/2026, dated November 5, 2026, and signed by Permanent Secretary for Civil Service Pita Tagicakirewa.
The circular, addressed to all Permanent Secretaries, introduces a revised approval process requiring all Government media statements and releases intended for public dissemination to be submitted to the Prime Minister for review and approval.
The submissions must be channelled through the Permanent Secretary for Information.
“No Ministry or Department shall independently release any media statement or media release without the prior approval of the Honourable Prime Minister,” the circular states.
Once approval is granted, the statement or media release must be issued through the Ministry of Information.
The circular states that the new process has been endorsed by the Prime Minister and that all ministries and departments are required to comply.
The directive takes effect from the date of issuance.
