Cabinet has appointed a Secretary or Chief Executive Office for the Public Service Commission, eight years after the position was dissolved by the former Administration. 

The appointment of Kolone Tikeri was endorsed by Cabinet in its meeting on Wednesday, according to a statement issued by the Government Press Secretariat on Thursday evening. 

Nine candidates were interviewed for the position in the P.S.C. with Mr. Tikeri eventually getting the nod when it went before the Cabinet. 

The new appointee graduated with a master's degree in business administration from the University of Newcastle in Australia in 2021. He also holds a bachelor of arts degree in management, economics, and public administration from the University of the South Pacific (U.S.P.).

Mr. Tikeri started his career at the P.S.C. and worked there for four years and then worked as a principal officer for human resources and administration within the Ministry of Women, Community, and Social Development. 

He also worked as the human resource advisor for the Samoa Water Authority (S.W.A.) and then became the first manager of the authority's corporate services division. 

The 40-year-old from the villages of Lalomanu, Aleipata, and Vaitoloa is currently an administrative specialist with the United Nations Environment Programme (U.N.D.P.) at its Pacific office in Apia. 

The reinstatement of the position of the C.E.O. to the commission is part of the current Government's long-term vision and reforms for human resource capacity and professional development for the public service. 

The position was advertised in a special advertisement published by the Commission in January this year and all interested candidates had until 3 February 2023 to make submissions. 

The salary scale for the position ranged from $124,444–$129,854 per annum and it was advertised together with the top positions for the Ministry of Customs and Revenue and the Samoa Law Reform Commission.