Youth and Sports Minister Parveen Kumar

An open and transparent process was followed in the establishment of the Fiji Youth Council.

Responding to Opposition on the criteria and processes in the appointment of the council members, Youth and Sports Minister Parveen Kumar says requirements included an existing set of achievements in the youth initiative.

Kumar says the appointment of members was done through an expression of interest in the newspaper and on the Ministry’s website.

“My Ministry had applied best practice approach in a transparent manner in ensuring that we appointed the right fit youth leaders to match the requirements of the role to be the members of the new Fiji Youth Council. The national youth council and bio data and their achievements are impressive to say the least and this means they have been selected from a wider of applicants who all had merit but as the council is composed of a set membership to ensure that their operational and logistical capacity is at the optimum.”

Opposition MP Ratu Suliano Matanitobua questioned the Minister on why most of the council members are from the urban centres.

“My question to the Minister is can you select members from the provinces. We have 14 provinces so for the betterment of the youth committee council – I think you have to include them too.”

Minister Kumar says the council was formed in line with the National Youth Policy.

“The National Youth Council that has been formed they will be policy makers and that is why recently we have appointed 29 assistant youth officers who will spread out throughout the country”.

That includes the maritime, peri-urban and urban centres Minister Speaker sir.”

Those appointed to the council are leaders who have the capacity to assist the country in youth development work.