The Permanent Secretary for the Prime Minister's Office, Parmesh Chand was allowed to travel to New Zealand to be with his sick wife.

Chand, who was earlier denied a visa to New Zealand because he was part of the interim regime, told Village News that him being granted the visa to travel to New Zealand is a non-issue adding that he is with his wife who is very sick.

He said he was granted the visa on compassionate and humanitarian grounds.

Earlier last week, 10 scouts aged 10 - 13 years were not granted visas to travel to New Zealand to attend a Scouts Jamboree in Christchurch because of their connections with the military and interim government.