MPS silent over $250K repatriation fund

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

MEMBERS of Parliament have been silent over the $250,000 Members Discretionary Fund that was announced by the Prime Minister and gazetted on March 27 2020 for repatriation purposes.

Some members of the public have called on their MPS to clarify and also charter ships to repatriate their constituents to their home provinces.

Silas Max told this paper that it is really unfair that MPS never assist to repatriate their people back to their provinces or constituencies.

Max said that all government charters are funded at the Marine Disaster Fund through Ministry of Infrastructure Development and not MPS.

He also said that it is disappointing to allow people withdrew their NPF contribution rather the government should assist everybody to repatriate to their home provinces.

“I don’t think that some employees will be employed again by their employers once the situation returns to normalcy as in terms of recovery it will take time”, Max said.

The Members Discretionary Fund is released to each Member of Parliament for the purpose of the repatriation of public officers or members of the public of their constituency from Honiara to their village of origin during the emergency period, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said.

“In this section Members Discretionary Fund means the Members Discretionary Fund as provided for under regulation 9(3)(a) of the Members of Parliament (Entitlements) Commissioner Regulations 1988”, PM Sogavare stated.

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