[Photo: File]

Opposition Members of Parliament have stressed that civilian employees within the Fiji Police Force were excluded from previous government salary increases, calling for the issue to be rectified in the 2026–2027 National Budget.

While moving a motion in Parliament, Opposition MP Inia Seruiratu stated that 184 civilian employees missed out on the recent three percent salary increase. He proposed adding $888,185 to the new financial year’s budget to resolve the disparity.

Finance Minister Esrom Immanuel clarified that the government will address the pay structure for these employees through an upcoming job evaluation exercise.

Inia Seruiratu says that civilian employees deserve equal treatment, adding that any solution should also compensate them for the salary increases they missed in the past.

“As I said yesterday, they fall through the cracks. When there is a salary increase for service personnel, they are left out. And unfortunately, in the recent 3% salary increase for civil servants, they were also excluded. I know that there were some exchanges between the Ministry and the Ministry of Finance.”

In response, Finance Minister Esrom Immanuel says that civilian police staff follow the standard civil service salary scale, adding that the government will look into the issue in the next financial year.

“Whether you move to the different steps, the salary or the remuneration differences, I can say it’s a bit abnormal for civil servants. So the solution that we are looking at is job evaluation.”

Opposition MP Jone Usamate further insisted that these excluded staff members should be compensated.

“I think the solution that you come up with might then take place from the point that you come up with a solution moving forward. But it would not compensate them for the things they have lost in the past. So my suggestion would be that if we do that, then to some extent we also compensate them in some way for any losses they might have accrued in the past.”

The motion was ultimately defeated in Parliament.