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Fiji Village News - July 5, 2000
Profiles of cabinet line up

Deputy Prime Minister/ Minister Fijian Affairs is Ratu Epeli Nailatikau who was army commander before being ousted by Sitiveni Rabuka in 1987.

He served as a diplomat before being promoted to permanent secretary Foreign Affairs. He was demoted back to roving ambassador when the
People's Coalition took power. Ratu Epeli is married to Adi Koila Nailatikau, daughter of Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara.

Alipate Qetaki is the Attorney General and Minister of Justice. He is a lawyer by profession and served for several years in the Judicial Department.

He has been Permanent Secretary for Justice and Solicitor General. Qetaki also served in advisory roles on legal issues within Government
departments.

Ratu Jone Kubuabola is minister for Finance , National Planning and Public Enterprise. Between 1971 and 1973, he was a weather forecaster before moving to the Ministry of Finance where he had a distinguished and successful career in the public service. Between 1983 and 1988, he was Permanent Secretary for the Finance and appointed governor in 1988 until February this year.

Paula Sotutu has been appointed minister for women, culture and social welfare. He is well known for his work with the poor and street kids. The former diplomat was also a teacher. He is currently the secretary for social services in the Methodist Church. Sotutu is a keen singer and is a member of the Fiji Arts Club Choir.

Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration is Ratu Talemo Ratakele. He is a chief of the Cakaudrove province. He was a civil servant before
retirement and saw active service as a soldier in the Fiji Military Forces. He's a member of the Great Council of Chiefs and a former senator.

Nelson Delailomaloma is minister for education . He is presently the director of the Fiji National Training Council. He was formerly a civil servant who served as commissioner eastern, director tourism, director of youth and sport and permanent secretary in the ministries of rural development and later trade and commerce.

Joketani Cokanasiga is minister for works and energy. He is more recently a senator, Cokanasiga spent much of his working life in the tourism
industry. He went on to become the general manager of the Fiji Visitors Bureau and was active in the Ports Authority. Cokanasiga continues to be involved in the tourism industry.

Pita Nacuva is appointed Health minister. This former national rugby captain was a successful civil servant. He was appointed Director of Tourism before moving to Washington as Fiji's representative. Nacuva is well liked by civil servants for his humble but disciplined attitude to work.

Fatiaki Misau is minister for regional development and multiethnic affairs . A career civil servant, Misau joined the government as a field assistant. He rose through the ranks and served as a commissioner northern before becoming permanent secretary for industrial relations and later in the offices of the President and Ministry of Information. Misau has served a s a member of the Electoral Commission.

Jone Koroitamana is minister for tourism, transport, communications and civil aviation. He was the chief executive of the Civil Aviation Authority
between 1982 and April 1988 before he was forced to resign by the then Public Enterprise minister, Isimeli Bose. An air traffic controller by
profession he is married to Akanisi Koroitamana , a successful candidate for PANU in the May 1999 general elections.

Kaliopate Tavola is foreign affairs , external , trade and sugar minister. An economist by trade, Tavola served most of his career. An economist by
trade Tavola served most of his civil service career in the agriculture ministry. He joined Fiji Sugar Marketing Ltd and represented in London before taking up a diplomatic post in Brussels. He is director on the board of several companies including Fijian Holdings and Carlton Brewery.

Tom Vuetilovoni is minister for Trade, Commerce, Business Development and Investment. Better known for his role as a rugby administrator,
Vuetilovoni is a former insurance agent. He rose through the ranks to become general manager for Colonial in Fiji. Vuetilovoni has served on several boards and commissions including an inquiry in the operations at Emperor Mines in 1977.

Ratu Josua Toganivalu is minister for lands and mineral resources. A retired diplomat , Ratu Josua was elected into Parliament in 1966. Between 1972and 1873, minister for agriculture, fisheries and forests. He was Fiji's High Commissioner to New Zealand between 1978 and 1980. He's former chairman of the Fiji Broadcasting Commission.

John Teaiwa is minister for local government, housing, and urban development. In 1996 , he was permanent secretary for Urban Development,
Housing and Environment and has sat on many government statutory boards. He has also been permanent secretary for agriculture for the ministries of agriculture, housing and urban development and primary industries and co-operatives.

Hector Hatch is the minister for Labour and Industrial Relations. Hatch was President of Fiji Employers Federation and a commissioner with the
Public Service Commission, a member of the Tripartite Forum, and Labour Advisory Board. He was general manager administration and director of WR Carpenters between 1973 and 1992.

Luke Ratuvuki is the minister for agriculture , fisheries, forests, Alta. He is permanent secretary for the ministry that he will now head between July 1996- July 1998. Ratuvuki was transferred to the ministry of Lands as Permanent Secretary with special emphasis on resettling farmers. He has also been permanent secretary for regional development and Fijian Affairs.

Keni Dakuidreketi is minister for Youth and Sport. Dakuidreketi holds a degree in Applied Science in Property Resource Management. He owns
Rolle Investments, a real estate company. Dakuidreketi worked for the Native Land Trust Board and became chairman of Viti Corp Company. He was an executive member of the Fiji Rugby Football Union.

Ratu Suliano Matanitobua is the assistant minister for Fijian Affairs. He is a gormer national soccer rep and soldier who is the youngest member of the Great Council Of Chiefs . first participating in 1989, at the age of 22. He was recently installed Tui Namosi, replacing his father, former education officer, Ratu Saloon Matanitobua. Ratu Suliano is assistant Roko Tui Ba.

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