The Permanent Secretary for the Office of the Prime Minister, Dr Lesi Korovavala has been appointed the Commissioner for the island of Rotuma.
His appointment was announced by the Prime Minister, Honourable Sitiveni Rabuka, following the Government’s decision to re-establish the position of Commissioner for Rotuma.
This move reaffirms the Government’s commitment to strengthening the historic and special relationship between Fiji and Rotuma.
The position has been vacant since 2010.
Prime Minister Rabuka expressed gratitude to the Council of Rotuma for their patience since.
Now that the position has been reinstated at the Permanent Secretary level within the Office of the Prime Minister, this will ensure that Rotuma’s interests and development needs are directly coordinated through the central government.
Prime Minister Rabuka noted that the relationship between Fiji and Rotuma “is a special one,” recognising the shared history, integrity, and rights of both peoples.
Following recent consultations with the Council of Rotuma on the review of Rotuma laws, Hon. Rabuka emphasised that the urgent need to improve basic services, escalate development, and restore the dignity of the Rotuman people from a governance standpoint made it essential to re-establish the dedicated role of the Commissioner.
The Commissioner for Rotuma will be responsible for coordinating all government services to the island and facilitating communication between the Council of Rotuma and the Government of Fiji through the Office of the Prime Minister.
Dr. Korovavala stated that he is looking forward to working closely with the Council and the people of Rotuma to advance development priorities and improve service delivery to the island.
