Some of the men and women of North East Guadalcanal and East Central Guadalcanal constituency who attend one of the awareness conducted over the weekend at Ruavatu by officials from the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Photos from Government Communications Unit
GOVERNMENT warns public of individuals selling paper work for the Economic Stimulus Package
The Economic Stimulus Package Awareness team under Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (OPMC) warns the public and people in rural areas not to accept any COVID-19 stimulus package paper work support in exchange for money from individuals.
It was reported over the weekend that opportunists are going around Honiara’s periphery with Guadalcanal province selling application forms to farmers and fishermen.
“If you happen to come across any person selling stimulus package application forms, please report their activity to the nearest police post.
“They are con artists who will take advantage of vulnerable people during emergency situation,” a statement from the stimulus package committee said.
The statement clarifies that there is no application form for the funding, only a criteria guideline note has been distributed earlier providing instructions for applicants.
“Applicants are expected to write up a simple project proposal at their own pace and cost.
“Applicants who are illiterate should seek help from their community leaders or a literate person to draft their application,” the statement from the stimulus package awareness team said.
The statement further reminds applicants in the provincial and rural areas to keep their proposals short by 4-5 page maximum.
In the meantime, awareness for the selected areas in the provincial centres continues.
Awareness talks has already been conducted in parts of Guadalcanal, West, Makira-Ulawa and Choiseul province.
Next week, the team which comprises of officers from the Policy Implementation, Evaluation and Monitoring Unit (PIMEU) and caucus will visit identified satellite areas in Malaita, Western, Temotu, Central and Renbel Bellona Province.
Due date for provincial and rural areas applicants has been extended to July 24.
Members queueing infront of Solomon Islands National Provident office at first floor of Anthony Saru Building to withdraw their funds under the covid 19 exmption on Tuesday 2nd June 2020.
By EDDIE OSIFELO
THE Solomon Islands National Provident Fund (SINPF) three months COVID-19 exemption orders to allow members to withdraw their money ends at 4.30pm today.
Thousands of people have withdrawn their allocations since SINPF opened its doors on April 1.
SINPF Managing Director, Michael Wate said he will provide the details or the total money given out to members when the deadline ends today.
As of June 5, 2020, 16,135 members were paid with a total of $77.8M.
However, the number of the members and money expended is likely to increase at the deadline.
Under the criteria:
1. A sum of $5,000 will be made available to members under the age of 50 years, who are temporarily laid off, or stand down due to the effect of COVID-19, or employed as of 31st December 2019, and are residing within the ‘emergency zone’. Members whose balances are below five thousand dollars are to be paid 50 percent of their balances.
2. Laid-off members due to COVID-19 be waivered three months waiting period and be paid 1/3 of their contributions or in full if their balances are less than $10,000. Their remaining Balance will be paid according to SINPF schedule.
3. Members aged 50 years and above to withdraw up to 20 percent of their contributions should they wish to or else, they can elect to withdraw in full.
Wate earlier said it’s a learning experience as a first of its kind to happen to SINPF Board since its existence in 1976.
Wate said even during the social unrest in 1998-2003 the Minister of Finance or the government then did not provide exemption orders for members to access part of their NPF contribution.
He said such payout to members will go down in SINPF Board 44 years’ history.
“SINPF will learn from this experience and in the future Fund will have a precedence to lean on when such crisis arises,” he added.
Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Pauline McNeil.
BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO
WHILST the Ministry of Health is focusing its work on coronavirus-19 Preparedness and Response Plans, normal health services will still be discharged.
“While we are working hard on our preparations and response plans on covid-19 our other core business of health has to continue,” said Pauline McNeil Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Health.
McNeil said the ministry’s normal health services or other core programmes will still run. Like NCD is still a major issue in the country but their team is also ensuring that it is attend as according to their Annual Operation Plan (AOP) activities for this year
“So, we have the AOP 2020 but at the same time we have the Preparedness and Response plan (PRP) to also implement so actually we have two plans to implement back to back for this year.
“So, in terms of NCD its programme is ongoing in terms of trainings at the provinces, our other key programs on RWASH is still running, so, as the rural water supplies and sanitation is running in provinces and immunisation programs is still continuing.
“So we don’t lose sight on those core programmes of the ministry of health, it is constant like I said we have two plans to work on back to back and that’s our normal AOP and on top of that we have to also ensure the activities of PRP delivered at the same time,” she said.
Jimmy Rodgers, Permanent Secretary to Prime Minister, adds that the Ministry Health had briefed caucus on covid-19.
“I would like to point out is this covid-19 outbreak had drawn one silver lining and the silver lining is that it has given health resources now to develop every provincial health services.
“Facilities in provincial hospitals and Area Health Centres (AHC) have been supported by ministry of health with the money coming in to support our covid response.
“Every health facilities at the provincial level both government as well as run by churches for the first time will be slowly improved so the country will have much better facility.
“We cannot thank covid for that but there is a silver lining that all disaster had a little benefit and so covid19 gave a little opportunity to improve health services int the country,” he said.
The above-mentioned statements were made at the latest radio talk back show in Honiara.
Minister for Health and Medical Services Dr Culwick Togamana
-Togamana hits back at lecturers and staff of SINU that process must be followed to remove Vice Chancellor Chand
-Lectures and Staff of SINU demand removal of VC
By EDDIE OSIFELO
SOLOMON Islands National University (SINU) Council cannot meet to decide the future of Vice Chancellor Dr Ganeshwar Chand until he responds to allegations levelled against him, Council Chair Culwick Togamana says.
The Lecturers Association of the Solomon Islands National University (LASINU) is demanding the termination of Mr Chand. Their demand is stipulated in a seven-day letter which lapses today.
The letter was signed by LASINU and supported by SINU General Staff Association (SINUGSA), and was submitted last Wednesday, June 24, 2020 with a bulk of evidence, claims and allegations against VC Chand.
Allegations against him include abuse of Recruitment/Conflict of interest, VC influenced payment of consultants with incomplete work and financial mismanagement – abuse of procurement processes amongst others.
Chair Togamana however has spoken out against the two associations (LASINU and SINUGSA) saying they do not have the mandate to remove the vice chancellor.
Mr Togamana said only the Council has the mandate to remove the VC provided he responds to the allegations levelled against him.
“I have already sent the allegations to him through an email as he is currently in Fiji.
“We have to follow the process first to allow the VC to response before the Council can meet and decide,” he said.
Togamana said there is a process to follow and not the law of the jungle which the two Unions seem to be behaving.
As per Chair-SINU Council request for their investigation into the allegation, members of the two associations met on June 23 at 4.40 pm at the Kukum Campus Lecturer Theatre and made the following recommendations;
That with the strong evidence presented herein, we demand the termination of the Vice Chancellor (VC) to be made no later than seven (7) working days from the date of submission of these evidences.
That failure to adhere to point (1), members of our two associations will withdraw labour forthwith”.
Spokesperson for LASINU had told the Solomon Star over the weekend that this is the second letter they submitted to the Council Chair on very much the same issues.
“The second letter was in response to the request from the Chair of the Council demanding both associations to provide evidence to support our claims against the VC,” the spokesperson said.
LASINU and SINUGSA have requested in their letter dated February 28, 2020 that Togamana must set up an independent committee to investigate the allegations.
They however learnt with much disappointment that Togamana was reluctant to initiate an independent committee to conduct an investigation and instead requested that they provided evidence to prove their allegations.
The two associations were also told by the chair they should follow the right process that can warrant the VC’s termination.
“This is uncalled for and perhaps shows Chair- SINU Council’s lack of interest in good governance, transparency and accountability across the university whilst continues to be protective of VC’s unbecoming actions,” the spokesperson said.
It is more likely the students’ association will join forces in support of the submissions as well, the spokesperson added.
PREPARATION work at the Institutional Quarantine Facilities prior to the arrival of 200-plus Solomon nationals is ongoing and on schedule.
Chairman of IQF Karl Kuper assured the nation this during a radio talkback show on 28th June.
“Preparation on schedule to accommodate nationals who are going to be repatriated as well as additional nationals who are still on their way.
“Numbers increase on this next repatriate exercise so we have secured additional facilities and my officers are working very hard in trying to putting up things as comfortable as possible,” he said.
Kuper reminded those who will be repatriated and are coming into these facilities to comply with the rules and regulations on these facilities “because these sites are first line of defense on covid in our country”.
“We want everyone to maintain order inside these facilities and adhere to the regulations that govern it,” he said.
Kuper adds, “for Gizo facility the work was completed and they now are waiting for it to be included in the orders or gazette so that it will be formerly recognized as quarantine station. And for the Noro it is near completion.”
THE ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) is working hard to make sure the provinces have GeneXpert machines.
The GeneXpert machine is the device used to test for covid-19.
Speaking in a radio talkback show on 28th June, permanent secretary for Health and Medical ministry, Mrs Pauline McNeil implied that the border provinces will be the first to be introduced to the machine, followed by Malaita and Makira-Ulawa provinces.
It is not clear what MHMS’s plans are for the remaining provinces.
“We are trying to reach out to the provinces in terms of GeneXpert machines,” McNeil said in the SIBC talkback show.
“Our technical working group left on Friday and the work is to use GeneXpert machines in our provinces.
“This is because the machine is low tech, it’s not resource-intensive and already the capacity is there for sustainability
“So, we are looking at Gizo, Taro and Helena Goldie hospital because of the border and then we will reach out to Kilufi and Kirakira for GeneXpert roll out.
“So, as we speak my team from the ministry is gearing up today to go to Gizo to look at the set up at the Gizo Hospital and then during the week on Wednesday another team will leave for Kilufi to assess the set up in Kilufi,” said McNeil.
She also adds that while MHMS is working hard in response to the coronavirus-19 threat, they have not lost sight of their essential services to the nation.
“We are working to ensure we maintain our essential services so that we maintain our status on some of our health indicators,” said McNeil.
The GeneXpert machine is a device which was originally used to detect tuberculosis and drug-resistant bacterial strains. Due to its fast-results, easy-to-handle and accuracy attributes, it has been readjusted to test for covid-19 approved by world health authorities.
New Zealand, Australia and the World Health Organisation (WHO) joined hands to make the highly sought after GeneXpert PCR testing cartridges available for Solomon Islands in early May this year.
The cartridges have been specifically re-designed for covid-19 testing.
It is understood Solomon Islands has 10 GeneXpert machines, including in some provinces, which are normally used to detect tuberculosis.
MALAITA provincial government has engaged legal representation to deal with government’s hold-up of covid-19 medical equipment donated to the province by Taiwan.
Lasting week police seized the medical equipment bound for Malaita province. Government was quick to sanction this move, citing geopolitical rhetoric that the Republic of China (Taiwan) was poaching in a country which recognised the People’s Republic of China.
In a government statement early this week, it described the seized consignment as having ‘suspicious nature surrounding the importation of the cargoes’.
Malaita provincial government has come out clarifying that the equipment had been the second batch to humanitarian assistance by Taiwan under its global counter-covid19 programme which was offered to any country including those which do not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Malaita had received the first batch and were looking forward to receiving the second when it was seized by police on Thursday last week.
Thus, with the Chinese-backed government and police against it, Malaita has sought to get justice with the help of legal representation.
Mr Richard Olita, a Malaitan man whose postal address the consignment had been sent through, confirmed Malaita provincial government’s course of action yesterday.
He said the purpose for engaging a legal representative to deal with the matter is to understand reasons on which national government had confiscated the equipment.
Olita confirmed that the first consignment also came under his address and has already been received, and that the impounded equipment was the second batch.
A statement from the Malaita provincial government (MPG) said while police is continuing its investigations into the matter, MPG and Mr Richard Olita are engaging a legal representative to act on behalf of the parties regarding the confiscated ROC humanitarian support covid-19 equipment.
“It is regrettable that we have to come this far on this issue. However, MPG would like to make further clarifications on some of the issues raised by the police and then we will leave the matter in the hands of our legal representative to deal with.
“Firstly, the equipment is part of the overall humanitarian support given by Taiwan to Malaita province under its global covid-19 response programme.
“The programme also includes support to countries that do not have diplomatic relationship with Taiwan. After all it is humanitarian support.
“It is through the programme that Malaita province seeks humanitarian assistance from and gladly received the kind support from Taiwan.
“The grounds for the support were based on the big population of Malaita province and the high influx of people that have gone to their villages under the government’s repatriation advice.”
Thus, the statement said based on that there is need to have extra covid-19 equipment and support to the province.
“Secondly the use of Richard Olita’s address was for logistical convenience and that the understanding would be the equipment will eventually be given to MPG.
“There is nothing for anyone to be suspicious about. After all these are the same equipment or similar ones donated to Solomon Islands by other donors including PRC as has been reported in the media.
“In any case there is already 5000 surgical masks of the Taiwanese support received in Malaita province.
“Thirdly the issue of diplomatic pouch as raised by the police and MFAET must be understood its correct context.
“Since it’s a humanitarian support from the government of Taiwan, it has to come from the ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Taiwan used the diplomatic pouch for its purpose to inform DHL that the consignment is from Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign.
“They have not hid anything regarding the support and they have not asked for any special immunity from SIG knowing there are no longer diplomatic ties between SI and ROC.
“There was no special treatment and immunity given to the consignment as the police and MFEAT would like to think.
“In fact MPG have gladly paid for the import duties already and have not bother to apply for any duty exceptions as may be suspected by the police.
“We urge the police to handle issues like this with some level of sensitivity and to reach out to Richard Olita and the provincial Government so that we all can help with the investigation as stated,” it said.
Quarantined Vanuatu-stranded nationals allowed back into society
A number of persons serving the mandatory quarantine period at various Institutional Quarantine Facilities have been released. Out of a total of 158 occupants 24 were released 16th June.
Those released are Solomon Island nationals who came in from Vanuatu during the first two repatriation flights into the country in May. They are mostly our nationals stranded in Vanuatu.
This particular group of passengers were given only 14 days quarantine since Vanuatu like Solomon Islands and a small number of other countries still have not recorded any positive case of the Corona Virus.
A statement from the Camp Management Committee says, “24occupants under quarantine travelling from Vanuatu to Solomon Islands have graduated today as per Legal Notice No. 70for COVID-19 Regulation Gazette”
“The 24 occupants have successfully passed and met all requirements placed upon all incoming persons that required them to serve the 14 days quarantine period.
“Their release mean they have proven themselves to be free from any medical condition that might relate to COVID-19.
Those released yesterday are
Vimo Apartment: 2 males and 9 Females
NHA: 10 Males and 1 Female
Access Plus: 1 Male
GBR: 1Male
Meanwhile GBR has received one new admission yesterday to retain the number at GBR Institutional Quarantine Facility at 58. The new admitted person is a Fisheries Observer who just returned to the country.
All 24 can now reintegrate into society and free to go back to their family homes.
THOUGH not many Solomon Islanders are known for playing rugby, there are some who have been paving and building their career in this sport overseas.
One of such players is 20-year-old Tarkyn Loloselo who moved with his father and mother to Auckland, New Zealand in 2003.
The second born of three children, Tarkyn’s father Lazarus Loloselo is from Savo Islands in the Central Province and his mother Benedict Loloselo is from the Lau region in Malaita Province. He has an elder brother and a young sister.
Unlike soccer players, which is the main sport in the Solomon Islands, 20 year old Loloselo young rugby career is already picking up colours having represented New Zealand in two touch rugby world cups and three transmans competition.
Despite still a current member of the New Zealand senior men’s national touch rugby team, Loloselo is now eyeing a new rugby league career after transitioning from rugby union to touch rugby in the last two years.
In November 2019, he returned home to give his services for the Solomon Islands national rugby 7s team that competed in Fiji at the Oceania national s championships. However, despite the colours in his young career it was a disappointed experience for the Loloselo who was made to feel as his services was not needed by the Solomon Islands Rugby Union Federation (SIRUF) national 7s team.
SunSPORTS was fortunate enough to catch up with the focused minded and determined young Tarkyn Loloselo to talk about his rugby career, experiences and what he plans on doing in the near future.
“Hi my name is Tarkyn Loloselo. Currently I’m 20 years old. I’m currently working as a carpenter in New Zealand.
“My mother is from Malaita Province and my father is from Savo Island, Central Province. I started my rugby career in South Auckland, playing rugby union all throughout my high school years.
“I had a surgery on my left shoulder, which put me out from contact sports for almost two years. In those two year’s I wasn’t able to play contact sports so I invested my time in touch footy and I was fortunate enough to make it into the New Zealand national touch team. Since then I’ve transitioned over to rugby league, so a different code.
“I didn’t really have any role models I would say growing up. I just kind of knew what I wanted to do and just had this really big self-belief.
“So if you talk about who inspires me the most, I kind of self-inspired myself to be really honest. I see myself as self-inspired and driven.
“For the past two years, I’ve been living in Australia. The reason I’m back in Auckland is because they’ve cancelled the footy tournament there so I’m back here in NZ.
“But the most notable teams I’ve played for would be the New Zealand Rugby Touch Team and the Western Mustang team competing in the Queensland U20 Hastings Deering Colts competition, which is only a level below the NRL.
Tarkyn Loloselo (second left) while playing for the NZ national touch rugby team.
“I was fortunate enough to make my debut in the NZ U-18 rugby touch team in 2017, from that campaign I got invited to go trail for the national men’s team and the same year I ended up making my debut for the national team.
“It was crazy man. I was a kid growing up that was given an opportunity and I just like took it with both hands.
“As a 17year old playing against big boys obviously you don’t really think much about it but my mind set was not like oh I’m a boy.
“My mind set was like we’ll all a man, you’ve got two arms, two legs, one head, and one heart and I also have the same.
“I made my debut when I was 17 and been playing in the team (NZ touch footy) for the past two years now. I’ve had two transman tournaments and one U-20s World Cup which I was fortunate enough to be the team’s captain.
“We went over to Malaysia and it was a good experience for myself obviously leading a great bunch of boys. Though we lost by two points in the final it was a good learning experience for myself and definitely a situation that you have to move on from. But it was a really good experience for myself and thoroughly enjoyed it.
“After that I ended up joining the senior men’s team to go to another World Cup, which I was very stoked about.
“This time I was the youngest player in the team and we went back to Malaysia for the World Cup. It was a bit of change to how I felt but I managed to mix well with the boys because obviously I’ve been playing with some of the guys before.
“Been really pleased to go to two World Cups for New Zealand in touch footy and played in two transman and youth transmans and a good number of tests.
“At the moment the next transman is coming up. I’m still currently in the squad but I think I kind of want to pull back and focus on my rugby league career.
“I told the coaches about this and they’ve real supportive. But we’ll kind of see how things go in the next few months.
“So, my positions are I play on anywhere on the outside backs, I grew up playing on the wing and got moulded into kind of a full back role, playing the halves but mostly full back and wing. I prefer to play on the wing but I think I’m gaining confidence in playing at the back now.
“Its real difficult to build a rugby career here in New Zealand because there are a lot of competitions here.
“You’ve got players who have been playing this sport since their young, or players whose fathers are rugby players themselves so obviously they have the upper hands.
“But like I said my mentality is everyone has one head, two feet, two arms and one heart so anything is possible.
“For me personally I think I have a lot of people to thank who pointed me in the right direction to achieve the success and I’m very blessed to have them in my life.
“The opportunities I’ve been given and I’m lucky to have taken it with both hands and just perform. All glory to God for giving me these blessing. I’m happy, blessed and very lucky,” he said.
In November 2019, the 20-year-old had returned home to play for the Solomon Islands Rugby Union Federation’s national rugby 7s team during the Oceania qualifiers. Sadly, it did not turn out the way he imagined it would be, he said.
Tarkyn Loloselo playing for the Western Mustangs in Australia.
“I don’t know much about SI rugby however I actually came back last November to play for the SI national rugby 7s team. We went over to Fiji but for some reason I didn’t play,” Loloselo said.
“I’m not trying to be big head or anything, but I just believed I had a lot to offer to the team with my skill set.
“To this day I don’t understand why they didn’t put me on the pitch. That is something you have to ask the coaches.
“At the moment I’m not really happy with the rugby guys in the Solomon’s because I came back offered my services, as I could have been playing in another tournament and earning money, but I told myself I wanted to go back and give back to the Solomon Islands people but I ended up not playing. To be honest it’s something to this day I’m still not really happy and how I was treated.
“I’m really not happy about that situation and I’m not really sure how I feel about coming back again with the way they treated me. I don’t know but yeah that’s just how I feel,” he adds.
Despite the bad experience with the national rugby 7s team, the Solomon Islands rugby League (SIRL) have said Loloselo is on their radar and that they will certainly be talking to him for possible inclusion if he is available for the emerging nations next year.
WHILST women leaders in the country are battling to have reserved seats for women at the political level through Temporary Special Measures (TSM), a report revealed there is a large information gap on TSM with very limited awareness.
Research Coordinator Ruth Maetala revealed this June 15th at a local press conference organised by Women’s Right Action Movement (WRAM) in Honiara.
Maetala told local journalists that according to the first project to examine in-depth views on TSM called the Public Perceptions of Women as Political Leaders Project, it recorded a large information gap on TSM with limited awareness throughout the areas in which research was conducted.
“76 percent of survey respondents had heard nothing of TSM prior to the survey. Yet people – once informed about TSM –are generally supportive of its introduction.
“92 percent of survey respondents said they supported TSM in provincial assemblies, and the same proportion of respondents supported TSM in the national parliament.
“Even people who support TSM are wary of associated risks involved with its introduction.
“These include women representatives not being respected and facing hardship, family discord, women being unprepared for a political career and concern about making short-sighted changes to the political systems,” he said.
Anika Kingmele said TSM are measures or action taken to reduce inequality between men and women in different spheres and it could be within the education sector, it could be within the employment sector to name a few.
“Basically the aim is to increase the number of women within the particular space where there it is dominated by men and this case our focus enhanced the research is in political space.
“This is to reduce the inequality in the political space, inside political positions be it at the national level or provincial level.
“TSM as the name for itself it is temporary in nature as soon as the outcome is achieved, the measures or actions will be taken out or removed because the outcomes have become natural,” said Mrs Kingmele
Moreover, this research project is led by the Women’s Right Action Movement and supported by International Women’s Agencies (IWDA) it aims to deepen understanding on public perception of the qualities and qualifications for political leadership and gender norms associated with these perceptions.
The intention of the research was to generate findings that would assist and advocates for gender equality to support the meaningful participation of women leaders.
