Minister for Traditional Governance, Peace and Ecclesiastical Affairs (MTGPEA) Hon Samuel Manetoali has praised the Government’s policy to recognize and support the roles of ecclesiastical institutions in the country.
Speaking during his 2021 Appropriation Bill 2021 debate speech in Parliament, Friday, Minister Manetoali said by recognising and supporting the roles played by ecclesiastical institutions, is not only ceremonial but also spiritually relevant, especially during these unprecedented times.
He said deriving the essential roles of the ecclesiastical institutions in the country, has in fact exemplified the spirit of partnership envisaged in the theme of this year’s national budget.
Minister Manetoali said as a result his ministry in 2020 hosted the Head of Churches symposium and entered into a Communique agreeing to jointly and collectively advance the betterment of all citizens.
He said a partnership policy framework is also soon to be finalized.
The Minister also highlighted that his ministry had been very instrumental in the enabling environment approach to social and economic development in this country.
“Providing this pathway for social and economic development is not a straightforward formula. Therefore, bringing this policy in recognizing and strengthening these traditional and ecclesiastical affairs institutions through my ministry is a right direction, and foremost, paved the effective delivery of this 2021 budget in this country,” he said.
Mr. Manetoali said under the total allocation of $25,906,971 under the recurrent estimates and $1M under the development estimates for his ministry, reflects on the government’s strong recognition, inclusivity, and importance MTGPEA’s policy reprioritized areas and their implementations despite this challenging time.
