Speeches

Remarks by the Acting Deputy Commissioner (FICAC) at the Launch of the CRAM Workshop with the National Fire Authority of Fiji

Posted by Media Team 05 March 2025

The Chief Fire Officer of the National Fire Authority, our brothers and sisters from the NFA, our team from FICAC the Corruption Prevention unit, to all participants of the Corruption Risk Assessment and Management (CRAM) workshop, Ladies and Gentlemen, Good morning, Bula Vinaka and Namaste.

It is my great pleasure to be part of this fellowship today in another significant collaboration with the National Fire Authority of Fiji.

This CRAM workshop or Carrying out a Corruption Risk Assessment and Management, is to basically to re-examine NFA's policies and procedure in-order to identify vulnerabilities to corruption or exploitation, identify and reduce risks and strengthen transparency, accountability and integrity within the organization.

Your contribution during this workshop cannot be underestimated. It will matter a lot. In a workshop like this, you have the permission or license to speak your mind about the issues at hand. Your honest subjective evaluation of the workings within NFA is strongly encouraged.

This can be unnatural or counterintuitive because of our culture of silence and that we are so used to heaping praises on ourselves, our work colleagues and our work. We don’t usually critique ourselves and what is around us. We are usually comfortable. This is your moment to re-examine some of our traditional ideas or approach.

Who better to help review NFA policies and framework, then to do it with you the NFA personnel, the people on the ground? Based on your experience for example, you might already have some views about which frameworks within NFA is susceptible to exploitation or weakness.

By fostering a culture of transparency, accountability and integrity, we can build a stronger, more resilient NFA better equipped to fulfill its legal and moral obligations in serving our people.

The results of this workshop through your contribution, might very well shape the history of NFA in its service delivery to our people, for generations to come.

Certain things such as greed, selfishness, ignorance, bias, as long as they exist, corruption will exist.

The negative consequences of corruption are always worth repeating because it is a difficult fight and we must continually remind ourselves what we are fighting against and what and whom we are fighting for.

Corruption erodes public trust, distorts decision-making processes, and diverts resources away from essential services and infrastructure development.

Corruption deprives all of us of a level playing field where certain individuals in public office make decisions dishonestly to benefit themselves, their friends or family, to the detriment of everyone else.

t is not merely a legal or ethical issue; it is a matter of national interest as it steals time and resources away from the people who deserve it the most, the people of Fiji.

I also wish to take this time to re-emphasize the importance of maintaining and sustaining the collaboration between FICAC and NFA, both now and in the future.

Our partnership is also built on a shared commitment to uphold the rule of law, promote good governance, and to safeguard the public trust. Trust can be difficult to forge but easy to tear down.

I commend the leadership of NFA, the senior management team, and all workshop participants for their dedication to this important cause. Let us approach this workshop with enthusiasm, open minds, and a collective determination to combat corruption and uphold the values of integrity and accountability.

Together, we can make a positive difference in this difficult fight.

We wish you all the best for this workshop.

Thank you Very much
Vinaka Vakalevu and
Daniyevaad