IT’S almost reckless and irresponsible on the part of the permanent secretary of the Education Ministry, Public Service Commission (PSC) chair Luke Rokovada said when responding to the Education Ministry’s overspending – leading to a budget shortfall of $23.8 million in the 2024-2025 financial year.
He said permanent secretaries, as chief accounting officers, were responsible for ensuring that ministries did not exceed their budget allocations.
The position was briefly held by current Ministry of Justice permanent secretary Selina Kuruleca, who vacated the role in October 2024.
She was succeeded by Ministry of Youth and Sports permanent secretary Ratu Meli Nacuva, who acted in the position until July this year before being replaced by Navin Raj.
“They should be aware when they are getting close to overspending and immediately seek additional funds from the Ministry of Finance,” he said.
“But to go ahead and spend the money without proper authorisation is almost reckless and irresponsible on the part of the permanent secretary.”
He confirmed writing to the Finance Ministry to express his concern about the matter, noting that any further action would be handled by the ministry.
“The consolidated fund is controlled by the Ministry of Finance.
“If additional funds are needed, approval must be sought through the permanent secretary for Finance.
“That’s the law. You cannot just withdraw money from the consolidated fund.”
Mr Rokovada said compliance with the Financial Management Act 2004 was important for accountability and transparency.
“Government ministries must adhere to the financial rules and regulations in place.
“Overspending and then trying to justify it later is not good governance.”
He added that while overspending may not be “unusual,” proper procedures must always be followed.
“They need to warn Finance early if they are likely to exceed their budget and seek approval.
“That’s good governance.”
Mr Rokovada said he would take a personal interest in the matter and await the Ministry of Finance’s findings on the investigation.
‘Overspending reflects poor planning and bad governance’
OPPOSITION MP Jone Usamate says the recent overspending by the Ministry of Education (MoE) reflects poor planning and bad governance within the ministry.
He questioned that if, as Deputy Prime Minister Professor Biman Prasad claimed, the over-expenditure and redeployment of funds were “not unusual,” then what was the purpose of conducting a special audit? A leaked memorandum from the Finance Ministry to MoE revealed that the latter had a “significant budget shortfall of $23.8million” in the 2024- 2025 financial year due to several unbudgeted initiatives taken by the ministry.
“If you have good planning, then obviously the planning that you have should be reflected in the budget that you apply for,” Mr Usamate told The Fiji Times.
“The fact that this is an overspending means that it was not foreseen in advance, and that in itself, is an example of bad governance.
“Secondly, when they had to spend over and above what was there, they should have gotten permission upfront from the Ministry of Finance.
The fact that this is not done means that there’s a problem in the way that the finances are being managed within that particular ministry.”
He also criticised what he called a “bloated” government structure, noting the recent appointment of two more assistant ministers.
“Fiji has never seen so many ministers and assistant ministers. Almost every MP in government now holds some kind of ministerial position.
“It’s unheard of.”
Mr Usamate said good governance and responsible management of taxpayer funds must take precedence over political convenience.
“Education is important for all of us, but good governance and leadership are what ensure those funds are used properly.”
