Civil servants in the Northern Division have been acknowledged for their sacrifices and commitment to serving rural and maritime communities.

They have been serving in and around Vanua Levu despite the geographical locations, pay, and working environment.

Divisional Planning Officer North Setareki Dakuiboca says that the acknowledgement is long overdue considering the sacrifices of civil servants in all sectors and ministries over the years.

He says while other civil servants are celebrating in Suva, there are actually other civil servants who are prioritizing serving members of their communities in rural areas like Cikobia, Kioa, Kubulau, and Udu Point.

“It’s been a long time overdue for this kind of event, and we thank the coalition government for coming up with this kind of program, setting aside a week for civil servants. Civil services have contributed a lot to communities, especially those in vulnerable ones in maritime as far as Kioa, Rabi, Cikobia, and other maritime islands, and also not forgetting our remote areas like Wainunu, Kubulau, Natewa Saqani, and Udu. This is a vulnerable area that civil servants serve on a daily basis.”

Dakuiboca says while there are challenges, like connectivity and infrastructure access in rural and maritime zones, civil servants continue to serve with available resources.

He adds that they will continue to improve and enhance their service delivery for the grassroots and ordinary Fijians.