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Min of Education gets recurrent budget cut

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Eddie Osifelo
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By EDDIE OSIFELO

MINISTRY of Education and Human Resources has experienced a budget cut in is recurrent budget.

A total of $1.2 billion of the $4 billion national budget was allocated to Education this year.

Minister, Lannelle Tanangada told Parliament on Tuesday that the recurrent budget for her Ministry was reduced by $147,459,510, which is a 12.2% reduction for 2021 compared to the 2020 recurrent budget. 

She said this decrease is primarily due to the revenue pressures experienced as stated in the Ministry of Finance and Treasury 2021 Budget Strategy paper (and which the Minister of Finance and Treasury has alluded to in his speech).

“It should also be noted that my Ministry always received the highest recurrent budget from the overall Government Budget over the past years – from 24% to 35% since 2016, which is above the international bench mark of 10% to 15% of budget that governments are requested to spend on education.

“However, the analysis by subsector for administrative costs across ECE, Primary, Secondary, TVET and Tertiary shows that the scholarship budget continues to receive the highest budget allocation over the years, and for 2021, it is 58% followed by the Primary (21%) and Secondary (12%) of MEHRD budget,” she said.

Minister Tanangada said the ECE and TVET have the lowest share of 3% and 2% respectively in the 2021 budget, however these last two sectors have the smallest number of students.

Guale chief supports Suidani’s CDF move

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Guadalcanal Premier, Francis Sade has thrown support behind Malaita Premier's move to take the RCDF issue to court.

A CHIEF on North Guadalcanal, Benedict Garimane has welcomed the move by Malaita Province to mount a judicial review in court on the infamous RCDF or CDF Scheme.

Premier Daniel Suidani is looking at seeking the High Court for a judicial review on this subject matter, in an effort to determine the Constitutionality of this scheme. 

Garimane said it was long overdue and a move that would help to put things right.

He said for many decades, millions were disbursed under the CDF to Members of Parliament but with little to show for in development.

Garimane said many people are living under poverty with no proper education and infrastructure, despite millions under the RCDF.

Premier Suidani pointed out that under the Constitution of Solomon Islands there are the three arms of the Government, the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary. 

The three arms have powers and functions that are separated but support each other making sure there are checks and balances in the governing of the country.

The RCDF or CDF Scheme is a scheme where elected members of parliament who are legislators were allocated funds to carry out activities in the name of development in their constituencies. 

The scheme is administered and managed by the Ministry of Rural Development with the Constituency Development Office.

Similar court cases on CDF were conducted in places like Kenya and elsewhere. As leaders, the premier said he is duty bound to ensure the court makes determination on the legality of this scheme.

It is well known amongst Solomon Islanders and beyond that the RCDF Scheme is a controversial one and has had its fair share of criticisms. 

Many even believed that one of the biggest negative effects of the scheme is that it perpetuated a dependency syndrome and creates a handout mentality in many quarters of Solomon Islands communities.

The Premier said once he had a good picture on how to proceed with the matter, he will make a public statement and a call for support from those who feel they shared the same view.

EDITORIAL- Siapu must serve the people, not cronies

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COUNCILLOR Eddie Siapu is our new city mayor.

He was elected yesterday following the recent ousting of Wilson Mamae, whose leadership was tainted with numerous allegations of mismanagement.

Fourteen councilors threw their support behind Siapu against the six that backed contender Reginald Ngati.

This is a welcome development after all that the council had been through since last year.

At least there’s now a new captain at the helm.

But here’s the thing.

Siapu is very much part of the Mamae leadership that was responsible for the mess.

So that question is: what difference is he bringing to the council and the people of Honiara?

Perhaps that’s the challenge Siapu has to deal with if his leadership is going to be different from Mamae.

As rate-payers, the people of Honiara want a city council that is responsive and councilors who take their responsibilities seriously.

Observations have it that some of the current councilors are basically in there for the meeting allowances and ward grants.

They hardly bring any good to the city council.

Councillors should be the ones driving change at the council.

They should be the ones coming up with policies and by-laws that will strengthen the operations of the council.

They must be the ones leading and directing the council.

This is an opportunity for Siapu, a two-term councilor, to prove his worth.

 He must show to the residents of Honiara that he’s different from Mamae.

Interest of the people of Honiara must be always at the forefront of any decisions he and his executive make.

He must stand for the people, not his cronies and business friends.

Honiara is now overcrowded.

And people tend to do things as they wish, giving no regard to existing by-laws.

The council must be steadfast in the application and monitoring of its bylaws.

Illegal betel nut stalls and sellers must be removed from the road-sides and along the streets.

There is urgent need for order to be restored in Honiara.

Siapu knows this too well.

Now is his turn to show leadership and address the pressing issues confronting the city.

China vaccine needs certification before roll out

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Press Release
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TSI

TRANSPARENCY Solomon Islands (TSI) commends the responsible decision of the Executive Government for the recently arrived vaccine from People’s Republic of China (PRC) – that it be certified by World Health Organization (WHO) before any roll out in the country.

Concerns now raised about the AstraZeneca make this decision a wise and responsible one. There is very little information available on the China Sinopharm.

It is people’s right to have as much information as they can get on the vaccines, be it from China or other countries and sources to enable them to make their own decision and ask the questions that must be asked of the medical profession.

TSI understands that WHO is yet to certify Sinopharm like it did with the other vaccines.

It is also important that WHO representative in Solomon Islands must explain to the people of Solomon Islands the reason for not certifying Sinopharm.

Transparency Solomon Islands understands that some country like Indonesia have rolled out the use of China made Sinopharm, and one wonders if WHO is monitoring and working with these countries to collect the data it needs in order to certify or not to certify the China made vaccine-Sinopharm.

Transparency Solomon Islands notes that China is the only country so far who has donated vaccine for the control of coronavirus to Solomon Islands.

An amount of 50,000 doses arrived in the country over the weekend. With its delipidated health and medical infrastructures and very poor health services, Solomon Islands has very little choice but to vaccinate its people preferably before any community transmission occurs.

WHO should therefore provide the reasons for not certifying Sinopharm in real time and if it not for good enough reason then the doses should be rolled out?

For the safety of the general public, it is the right decision from the government not to roll out the Sinopharm vaccine until endorsement by WHO.

Some countries have received the Sinopharm vaccine but with very little information. It is alleged it does not guarantee the safety of people from any side effects of the vaccine once rolled out.

There are also other consideration and must ask questions to be raised as well.

According to information available, Solomon Islands received the first batch of the Sinopharm, the first country to do so amongst Pacific island countries that have diplomatic ties with China.  It received the vaccine [the COVID-19 vaccine] from China through bilateral channels.  

This should raise a number of questions as Solomon Islands diplomatic switch to China is most recent compared to our neighboring countries like PNG, Fiji and Vanuatu who had been with PRC longer than us. 

They are yet to allow Sinopharm on their shores. Have we now become an easy target and a push over for the world-wide testing of Sinopharm? 

With other vaccines available why not ask China to purchase those certified vaccines for Solomon Islands.

It just does not make any sense at all to allow it into the country before it is certified by WHO.

To recap, despite the offer of 100,000 Sinopharm doses from PRC for Papua New Guinea (PNG), the vaccine is yet to gain approval from PNG regulators.

Solomon Islands however could not wait to have the Sinopharm vaccine landed on their shores.

This means extra cost to the Solomon government for storage purposes, since the vaccine requires very low temperature for storage needing more electricity consumption to keep the vaccine safe, pending WHO’s certification.

With frequent power cuts how safe will these vaccines be by the time WHO certifies it.

TSI welcomes the decision from the Solomon government not to use the Sinopharm vaccine at this time, but like to reiterated that the doses should have been kept off-shore waiting since any feedback from WHO on the vaccine will most likely be at the end of this month (April).

And if the vaccine is not certified by WHO it will have been a costly exercise for the government in terms of storage. 

Transparency Solomon Islands urges WHO to quickly provide any feedback and calls on the government to reduce the CDF allocation and use the funds to buy vaccine for our people of the certified ones.

TSI like any other citizens have no problem with the PRC’s Sinopharm, but sees the certification with the rightful international health bodies as a must and this should be a condition for bringing in any vaccine into the country.  It is not as if there is no other vaccine.

It is important that Solomon Islands does not lend itself to Covid-19 vaccine diplomacy for political propaganda.

The Executive Government must not gamble the lives of citizens, using the covid-19 vaccine diplomacy to promote China or the western ideology.

It is the health of Solomon Islands citizens that is paramount and we must ensure the entire nation is safe from the pandemic.

Thus, any covid-19 vaccine shipped into Solomon Islands must have received certification from WHO before arriving in the country or rolling it out.

Transparency Solomon Islands thanks China for supplying the covid-19 vaccines despite it having to wait for WHO certification.

Please provide the information needed by WHO to certify the Sinopharm so that Solomon Island and countries needing assistance can benefit.

For the last two weeks the country has rolled out AstraZeneca vaccine, supplied through Covax facility.

TSI commend the supports from Australia, Solomon Government and WHO for facilitating the shipment of the AstraZeneca vaccines.

In the meantime, TSI reiterates the need and importance of WHO certification of the Sinopharm vaccine before any roll out plan is implemented and for WHO to explain why it has not certified Sinopharm to date as compared to those it did certify.

RSIPF build 2 police stations and officers’ barracks in Guadalcanal

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Press Release
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Commander Osborne(left) and Commissioner Mangau (right) look at the plan for Aola PS

THE Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) has started on the construction of two new police stations at Aola and Avu Avu in Guadalcanal province to allow RSIPF to continue delivering services in the province.

The Aola police station located in East Central Guadalcanal will be re-built after it was burnt down in a fire due to an electrical fault in 2020, and the Avu Avu police station in South Guadalcanal has been taken down and a new one built in its place.

Commissioner of Police and the Commander of the Solomon Islands Police Development Programme (SIPDP), Paul Osborne visited the two sites on April 14, 2021.

The work is being undertaken through the partnership between the RSIPF and SIPDP to support policing in the provinces, says Commissioner Mangau.

Commissioner Mangau and Commander Osborne at the Tetere site

Commander (SIPDP) Osborne says, “The partnership forged between the RSIPF and SIPDP is enduring, and the development of these stations is evidence of our strong relationship. I am pleased to be able to support Commissioner Mangau and the RSIPF with these stations as they provide a critical component for policing within Guadalcanal province.”

The RSIPF Commissioner and SIPDP Commander thanked the Guadalcanal Provincial Government and the communities of Aola and Avu Avu for their ongoing support and understanding during the period of construction.

Construction of the new Avu Avu police station underway

Mangau says, “I want to thank the SIPDP for your ongoing support and in particular this infrastructure development. I am pleased to witness the commencement of re-building the Aola police station after it was tragically burnt down in 2020 and the replacement of the Avu Avu Police station with a completely new station as well.

“The building of the two new stations will allow our members to once again operate out of purpose built stations and will allow members of the public to access the RSIPF at the stations. The work on these police stations will be completed in the coming months.

Commissioner Mangauand an SIPDP advisor looking at the plan for Avu Avu PS

“Besides the construction of the two police stations, SIPDP is also funding the construction of new single officer’s barracks, both for male and female officers, at the Tetere Police Station on North Guadalcanal.”

Mangau and Osborne also visited the construction of the barracks at Tetere on April 15, 2021.

Construction worker Henly Sina briefing on the progress of the work

–POLICE MEDIA

YOU WANT 2023?

Written by
Ofani Eremae
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Engineers from China arriving in the country on Sunday night.

Why 120 Chinese engineers are here

By OFANI EREMAE

CHINA Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) has strongly defended its decision to bring in 120 Chinese engineers for the construction of the Pacific Games facilities.

The workers arrived last Sunday and are currently undergoing their two-week quarantine requirement.

“We need this lot if we are to complete the stadium project within the next two years,” CCECC general manager Huang Pengfei told Island Sun in an interview.

“This is a project of huge proportion,” Pengfei added.

“It is going to occupy 26,000 square metres of land with seven different facilities.

“Building a sports stadium is highly technical. This is why we need these engineers to be right here on the ground so that the work-flow is not disrupted.”

Pengfei was responding to public criticism of the arrival of the Chinese workers.

CCECC chartered Solomon Airlines to bring the workers in, ahead of the start of construction next month.

China is funding the project at a total cost of around $2.5 billion.

“I believe those who criticised our decision to bring in more than 100 engineers do not understand the technicality, scale and magnitude of the stadium project,” Pengfei said.

“If they do, they would understand why we bring in all these workers.

“These engineers are here for specific roles and they’ll be the ones leading the construction.

“Among them, there’ll be supervisors from other consulting engineering firms we engaged to supervise the work and ensure it is rightly done.

“Remember, we only have two years to complete a huge project that would normally take three to four years.

“Also remember that we are required by the Chinese Government to build and deliver a stadium that is of international standard,” Pengfei said.

He added, Solomon Islanders – both skilled and unskilled – would also be recruited.

“We will be recruiting up to 300 locals in this project. This will be done on a gradual basis.

“When construction starts next month, we may take in the first 50. We will advertise these vacancies.

“So there will be job opportunities for Solomon Islanders,” Pengfei stated.

Furthermore, he said the decision to bring in the 120 workers was not that of the Chinese Government, but CCECC’s as the contractor.

“We came up with this number based on our analysis and the need to get this project done within two years,” Pengfei said.

CCECC has been in the country for the last four years, engaging in a number of infrastructure projects.

According to Pengfei, they were awarded the contract to build the stadium based on their local experience.

“I’ve been here in the last four years and I already knew well the people and the landscape.

“I believe together, we can produce a quality stadium project within the timeframe.”

Pengfei said this is not his company’s first stadium project.

“We’ve built sports stadiums in Asia and Africa.

“Closer to the Solomons, we’ve built the sports stadium in Vanuatu that was used during the 2017 Pacific Mini Games.”

While the majority of materials will be imported from China, Pengfei said they would also purchase locally.

He said they are also in the process of negotiating with Guadalcanal landowners for sand and gravel.

As for food for their workers, Pengfei said these would all be sourced locally.

He said they expect to complete the project in May 2023 – a month just before the Pacific Games kick off.

2,000 seasonal workers by end of year: Gov’t

Written by
Eddie Osifelo
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Part of a group of Solomon Islanders who went under the Australian Seasonal Workers Programme and Labour Mobility Scheme. PHOTO AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSION OFFICE

By EDDIE OSIFELO

GOVERNMENT expects to send 2000 workers to Australia under the Labour Mobility scheme by the end of this year.

Currently there are 533 workers in Australia and 291 in New Zealand.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Jeremiah Manele told Parliament on Tuesday that by end of this month they are looking at an additional 420 workers going to work in Australia.

He said beyond April to June, indicative numbers they have is around 632.

“This will bring the number to more than one thousand two hundred and forty-four workers (1244) by mid this year,” he said.

Manele said getting to 2000 workers by the end year is their goal and they see this as achievable given the growing number of workers entering the Australia market. 

He said the government is mindful of the decline in employment opportunities within the domestic market given the down turn of the economy.

“Seeking employment for our youths remains a priority of the government.

“Labour markets in Australia and New Zealand continue to provide jobs for growing number of our people,” he said.

“An average worker from Solomon Islands working in Australia earns around SBD50, 000 for a six to nine months’ contract under the Seasonal Workers Programme.

“This is a substantial amount that continue to improve the quality of lives of our workers and their families,” he said.

Further to that, Manele said the Labour Mobility programme with Australia and New Zealand were suspended during the course of 2020.

However, he said Australia opened up its labour market only in November, they were one of the first countries of the region to register its interests to participate in the programme.

Labour Mobility is part of the Government’s redirection policy.

Diarrhoea outbreak in Sikaiana, MPA calls for gov’t assistance

Written by
Samie Waikori
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Sikaiana Island. PHOTO GEORGE HERMING

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

AUKI

A diarrhoea outbreak has been reported in Sikaiana, Malaita Outer Islands, which needs urgent medical attention.

The situation has been around for ‘few weeks’ and people are still waiting for any government medical assistance to the island.

Comments are being sought from the ministry of Health.

MPA for Ward 33 (Sikaiana), Ezekiel Teusa told this paper on Tuesday the situation is ‘fairly stable, but the outbreak remains among people on the island’.

He said he continues to keep in touch with people on the island via a two-way radio.

Teusa said making it worse the clinic on the island is without a health worker (nurse) after a nurse who was stationed there left earlier this year.

He adds that patients are left to medicate themselves with only paracetamol and Panadol.

Children and adults are affected alike, Teusa points out.

He called on the ministry of health for prompt response to the situation.

This paper understands that Malaita Provincial Health Authority held a meeting on Tuesday this week in Auki in preparation to respond to the outbreak in Sikaiana.

A medical team is reported to be leaving for Sikaiana via patrol boat today. The deployment is to respond to the outbreak and provide other health care services to the people.

After Sikaiana, the team will visit Luaniua and Pelau communities in Ontong Java.

Gov’t treats free education with caution: Tanangada

Written by
Eddie Osifelo
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Lanelle Tanangada former Minister for MEHRD

By EDDIE OSIFELO

THE Government needs rethinking, analysis and a strategic approach to implementing Free Fee Education, due to the tight fiscal position they are faced with. 

Minister of Education and Human Resources, Lannelle Tanangada explained this in Parliament earlier this week in response to the Public Accounts Committee report.

“Our education system still has challenges that my Ministry is endeavoring to overcome these in a systematic and planned manner to ensure that we do truly achieve our commitment to the global Sustainable Development Goals for education. 

“Thus at this point we need not hasten the redirection policy on fee-free education at all levels of our entire education system, rather initially focus on getting the basic education years fully and effectively funded,” she said.

“We should consider our financial capacity and look ahead how we may be able to expedite growing our economy at a much faster rate than the current – this way we may be able to sustain our Government expenditures, not only on education, but also other key development areas such as infrastructure, health and rural development – just to mention a few.

“An ambitious Education agenda such as free-fee education from Early Childhood Education to University level (although desirable) require sound policies and planning, as well as efficient implementation arrangements, which cannot be achieved overnight or during global pandemics as we currently experience now.

“We must also endeavour to consolidate the current education system so that we can improve on those specific areas that have been well identified as requiring immediate financial attention, that is to ensure full access for all students in the basic education years while having quality teaching and learning,” she said.

“We need to determine the full cost of a truly full fee-free education system, that to determine the cost to the country and tax-payers, to see if we could truly afford to provide a fully free education to our current and future generations,” she added.

Furthermore, she said her Ministry has been working on a new and future looking Education Bill, to replace the current legislation that has been in place since independence. 

She said this work includes a completely reviewed and revised legislative framework that will herald in much needed reform to enable our system to manage the system in a more contemporary, accountable and efficient system. 

“It will enable us to provide an improved basis to move towards the fully free education at some stage in the future.  I eagerly look forward to providing more details of this in due course,” she added.

Lack of gov’t support in reforestry on Malaita

Written by
Samie Waikori
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Reforestation of Kauri tree species in the highlands of Central Kwara’ae

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

AUKI

REFORESTATION programme in Malaita province needs support from national government.

The concept of replenishing forests is popular in Malaita, and many are engaged in the activity despite limited support; however, the gap caused by lack of national support is quite telling.

Officer In-charge of Reforestry in Malaita, Mr Ronnie Aiwewe made the statement yesterday following “slow development experienced on the sector in the province”.

He said from 2000 to 2008 AusAid funded reforestation programme in the country, and the programme was handed over to national government in 2008.

Aiwewe said since then the programme has slowed down due to lack of priority given it by national government.

He said for Malaita, the programme is growing – people have gone into reforestation, but in a very slow rate compared to the rate of logging industry in the province.

Aiwewe said in 2012, his office conducted an inventory survey on reforestation programme in the province and the survey showed growth in the industry.

He said summary of the survey showed 2,591 hectares of land were reforested under the programme in the province. Adding that out-growers reached a total of 5, 426 hectares under the programme.

Aiwewe said his office is yet to take a recent inventory survey, but his office assumes that reforestation is beyond 2012 figures because reforestation activities have been happening since.

He said in 2020, his office engaged a tribal group in Central Kwara’ae in a 2.5 hectare reforestation of Mahogany tree.

Aiwewe said the group are still going on with the programme.

He stressed that 2020 was a challenging year for the programme because government did not support reforestation.

Aiwewe thanked MPG for supporting his office on the programme especially on nursery establishment as certain nursery sites were established for farmers to collect nurtured trees for planting.

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