TRANSPARENCY Solomon Islands (TSI) is urging the national government to tax the $20 million terminal grant payout for members of Parliament which they will receive when Parliament dissolves on December 17, 2018.

Ministry of Finance and Treasury has confirmed to the Public Accounts Committee hearing this week that $20million will be put aside for terminal grants of the 50 MPs. Each MP will receive $400,000.

In a media statement, TSI says that it is deeply concerned on such payout because it will forego government’s revenue worth of millions according to PAYE calculation.

TSI says this is not fair whilst Solomon Islanders can hardly cope from pay week to pay week struggling to make ends meet daily of the deductions made to their pay, the biggest is the government tax or PAYE.

“People hope that the government will use the tax payers’ money to improve social services, such as schools, clinics, provide water supply and sanitation, enough medicine and medical supplies in the clinics as well as build economic infrastructures to bring about development in the country.

“While citizens are struggling to put food on the table, Members of Parliament allowances, salary, and entitlement is totally tax-free.

“TSI renews the call for PEC to honour its announcement to the press in 2016. It is time we revisit this issue.”

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the private sector window of the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) have moved to further boost support for the fishing industry in Solomon Islands with a new US$10 million loan to National Fisheries Developments, Ltd (NFD).

The investment, to enable the purchase of a large tuna fishing vessel, comes months after a similar financing deal for NFD, which supplies tuna to its sister company, SolTuna Limited, the only tuna processing facility in Solomon Islands.

“The loans are enabling us to buy two large fishing vessels, creating more jobs as well as increase our supply of tuna for the cannery, which in turn creates even more jobs in processing” said Frank Wickham, Managing Director of NFD.

“Each vessel will provide at least an additional 7000 tonnes of fish to the fleet’s annual catch.”

Overall the latest deal marks IFC’s third investment to support the tuna industry in Solomon Islands.

In 2013, IFC provided a US$10 million loan to SolTuna, the largest private sector employer in Western Province and one of the largest employers in Solomon Islands overall.

The loans to NFD have resulted in about 150 new jobs at SolTuna and about 50 jobs at NFD.

“We understand that Solomon Islands is heavily reliant on tuna for revenue, food security and exports,” said Nena Stoiljkovic, IFC’s Vice President for Asia and the Pacific.

“The tuna industry is also an important source of jobs, in a country with a high unemployment rate, so it’s vital to keep up support for fisheries to spur economic growth.”

The IFC Vice President for Asia and the Pacific was speaking after a visit today to NFD and its sister company SolTuna in Solomon Islands.

The tuna industry accounts for 18 percent of the country’s GDP.

In recent years, NFD’s tuna catch has accounted for around 25 percent of the commercially caught tuna in Solomon Islands.

Along with the new financing, IFC has also been working with NFD to advise on best practices in environmental and social standards, including improved working conditions.

IFC’s advisory services has also worked with SolTuna’s management on solutions for women, labor and occupational health and safety, helping the company significantly cut costs and reduce absenteeism from about 18 to 12 percent.

IFC’s support for NFD and SolTuna has been complemented by the support of the Australian and New Zealand Governments under the Pacific Partnership.

Australia, New Zealand and IFC are working together through the Partnership to stimulate private sector investment and reduce poverty in the Pacific.

–IFC PRESS

By Mike Puia

THE attitude of some locals who were recruited to work in horticulture farms in Australia is responsible for the cut in number of locals recruited to work in Australia.

This was confirmed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade (MFAET), Mr Joseph Ma’ahanua, when he appeared before the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday.

Responding to questions from PAC members, Ma’ahanua said at present there are 150 locals working in Australia horticulture farms under the Seasonal Worker Scheme.

He said this number is a decrease compared to the past years where the number of locals went up to 200.

Ma’ahanua said horticulture employers had to reduce its recruitment in the country because of the attitude of some locals.

He said some acted outside the agreements they signed with employers and so seen as illegal.

Ma’ahanua said those who painted a negative picture on locals have reduced our local workers marketability.

He said the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme where locals work in New Zealand horticulture farms is going “exceptionally well”.

The Foreign Affairs PS said at present over 700 locals are working in various horticulture farms in New Zealand this year.

These locals working in Australia and New Zealand are injecting huge money as remittance into the country.

For the 2016-2017 Season alone for instance, local workers working in New Zealand and Australia injected about $31 million into the country.

This figure excluded money these local workers put in their pocket when they return and value of goods they put in containers carrying their goods bound for Honiara.

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

ENVIRONMENTAL impact of water pollution is affecting the people of Voruvoru Community at Northwest Choiseul being a result from logging activities.

Creating matters worse from report, the accused Springhill Company’s logging activities has operated over Voruvoru’s main water source that is used for drinking, cooking and washing.

As a result, Voruvoru residents and the community as a whole call on Springhill Company to allocate safe drinking water tanks for them.

“A strong call was made during the past by the community to relevant authorities in order to assess the environmental impacts of logging activities on our main water source but ever since then, our call has only fell on deaf ears,” said locals reporting.

“Voruvoru residents are suffering seeing them having to travel far to collect water for drinking and cooking when it is sunny as a result of the small water sources being dried up.

“We demand the company to supply us with water tanks while the environment and forestry Divisions must come and assess the environmental impacts caused to our main water source.”

Attempts to contact Springhill Company were not possible.