Jone Usamate

Jone Usamate
Usamate at the Australian Embassy in Suva, December 2016
Minister for  Infrastructure and Meteorological Services
In office
25 September 2014 – 24 December 2022
Appointed byFrank Bainimarama
Succeeded byFilipe Tuisawau
Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources
In office
16 April 2020 – 24 December 2022
Appointed byFrank Bainimarama
Succeeded byFilimoni Vosarogo
Personal details
Born (1962-04-02) 2 April 1962 (age 62)
Suva
NationalityFijian
Political partyFijiFirst
Independent
ChildrenFour
Alma materUniversity of the South Pacific
ProfessionAcademic

Jone Usamate (born 2 April 1962, in Suva) is a Fijian politician, who served as the Minister for  Infrastructure and Meteorological Services from 2014 to 2022 and Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources from 2020 to 2022 in the Fijian government.[1]

Usamate studied at the Suva Infant School, Veiuto Primary, Levuka Public and the then Kalabu Fijian before attending Lelean Memorial School from 1974 to 1979. He studied at the University of the South Pacific and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in administration and economics as well as a Master of Arts in management from Southern Cross University.[2]

He was the chief executive officer for the Training and Productivity Authority of Fiji (TPAF) and was the Director for Technical and Vocational Education and Training at the Fiji National University.

In February 2012, he was appointed a Minister and sworn in by Fiji's President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau at Government House, Suva.[3]

He stood for Fiji First in the 2014 general elections. He collected 939 votes and was elected as a Member of Parliament.[4] He returned as a Government minister and left the Labour and Industrial Relations Ministry to become the Minister for Health. In September 2016, he was part of a cabinet shuffle and was moved to the Ministry for Employment Opportunities, Productivity and Industrial Relations.

Following the collapse of FijiFirst, Seruiratu remained in parliament as an independent, serving as chief whip of the opposition Group of 16 Bloc.[5]

References

  1. ^ Fijivillage. "PM announces cabinet reshuffle, Faiyaz Koya sworn in as Minister for Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport". www.fijivillage.com. Retrieved 2020-06-05.
  2. ^ "PDirector Technical Vocational Education & Training (TVET) – Mr Jone Usamate". Archived from the original on 2014-07-07. Retrieved 2014-07-05.
  3. ^ "PACNEWS - Regional news". Retrieved 2014-07-05.
  4. ^ "2014 Election Results". Fiji Elections Office. Archived from the original on 2014-09-21. Retrieved 2014-09-23.
  5. ^ Navitalai Naivalurua (5 August 2024). "Opposition splits in 2 - One led by Seruiratu, the other will be led by Naivalurua". Fiji Village. Retrieved 5 August 2024.


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