-Government’s state of emergency playing into hands of employers, also exposing evil deeds

-Indigenous employees fall victim

By Alfred Sasako

THE State of Emergency, declared by the Government on Friday, March 27 in the fight to keep the deadly COVID-19 at bay appears to be working against Solomon Islands indigenous workers in a number of industries.

The State of Emergency has since been extended by four months with the introduction of new emergency measures, including a nine-hour nightly curfew starting at 8pm last night.

Police will set up roadblocks between Alligator Creek and Poha River – the area declared as emergency zone under the state of emergency. Those who defy the curfew face a $10, 000-fine or a five-year jail term

But these measures are having a toll on the very people they were set out to protect.

Many who have been made redundant because of the COVID-19-induced state of emergency orders told Island Sun their employers never gave them a penny when they told us “we were being laid off.”

Tourism-related industries such as hotels and restaurants are the hardest hit.

One large hotel stood down almost 200 workers, but under-reported the figure on the number of workers it had stood down.

“We are in a very bad situation,” one redundant worker told Island Sun earlier this week.

“They told us almost on the spot that due to the COVID-19 measures introduced by the government, the company was not in a position to keep us. That is fine. We understand that, but they should at least pay us some money, because these are big companies.

“In our case, they did not,” one redundant worker told Island Sun earlier this week.

“We have families. What they did to us is inhumane and immoral. These companies should be made to fulfill their social responsibilities to their staff,” she said.

“Some of us actually asked if we could take our annual leave so that at least we can have some money to live on. That request too was refused,” the worker said.

One other worker said she was paid for the four days of work before she was told she was being stood down.

“But when I checked my bank, the $300 or so paid into my account had been deducted to cover my loan repayment. I had thought the banks were putting loan repayment on hold until the state of emergency was over. Now I know it is not true,” she said.

Another worker who was made redundant last week said her employer had not even paid her anything when she was told she was being stood down. While trying to withdraw her savings from the National Provident Fund (NPF) under the government waiver, she found out she had only $800 in her NPF account.

“My employer has been deducting NPF contributions from my pay since 2012 when I started. Now it seems he has not been making payments on my behalf to the NPF,” she said.

It was reported that The NPF planned to audit companies along the Kukum Highway to White River. It is not clear whether the planned audit has begun.

By EDDIE OSIFELO

THE Government has approved a targeted fiscal and economic consolidation strategy to cope with the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on Solomon Islands.

Fiscal policy measures thus far have focussed on additional spending to support COVID-19 preparedness and containment efforts.

Minister of Finance and Treasury, Harry Kuma told Parliament on Tuesday that immediately after the Strategy was approved by cabinet, MoFT has imposed the following measures under the general orders vested in the Minister and Permanent Secretary of Finance under Part 3 sections 7 and 9 of the Public Financial Management Act 2003.

He said that focusses on the management of Public Finance and in consistent to the Prime Minister’s power under the Emergency Powers Act Regulation recent gazetted by the Governor General.

These measures include:

1. Prioritization fixed and mandatory expenditures and COVID-19 related spending pressures, and other priority commitments approved by cabinet;
2. Stop and defer all discretionary and non-essential expenditures;
3. Reprioritization or reallocation of the 2020 budget to fund additional COVID-19 emergency pressures and
4. Other payments from now on will be deferred and payments relating to the broad categories below will not be entertained until further notice.
5. Training – local and overseas
6. Stationeries and toners
7. Printing of documents and
8. Purchases of laptops and desktops

Minister Kuma said the execution of these measures will be difficult and challenging for all ministries in the management and implementation of programmes within respective budgets.

“However, Solomon Islands is already in a state of public emergency and our greatest priority now must be refocussed to protect and minimise the COVID-19 impact on health, social and economic security of the people of Solomon Islands,” he said.

THE Leader of Opposition, Matthew Wale describes the sacking of Dr Claude Posala, Head of the Eye Department at NRH by the government as ill-considered and a decision based on bad judgment.

Mr Wale said “Solomon Islands needs all the qualified professionals it has in the country to be harnessed to the fight against covid-19. Unless a health professional has committed an offence so grievous that would negatively impact the effectiveness of the fight against covid-19, he or she should not be removed.

“In this case, it appears Dr Posala has been summarily dismissed for the slightest error in posts he made on Facebook,” the Opposition Leader adds.

Wale stressed that merely posting an internal memo from the PS Health cannot be grievous enough to warrant removal.

“Although the memo was an internal memo, no damage is done in making it public. There is a place for transparency around these kinds of internal directions that is healthy and must be encouraged.”

Posala is the President of the SI Medical Association and should be accorded some understanding to allow him the space to advocate for his members’ interests.

“What benefit is gained by dismissing a frontline health professional? What cost was incurred from the Facebook post?” Wale asks.

“In weighing the benefits in retaining Dr Posala in the healthcare system at this time against the loss from his removal, surely our need to retain him should totally outweigh any wrongs he committed in his Facebook posts.”

Wale said, “I pray that common sense prevails in this case, and all matters given their due proportionate weight.”

Further, Wale added, “Regulation 26 of the Emergency Powers (COVID19) Regulations 2020 is a potential obstacle to the free flow of information from frontline experience to decision makers.

“Frontline professionals should be allowed free speech so we know what issues they are facing and must be addressed. To ban their free speech may result in lives lost, if the virus gets here,” says Wale.

Wale therefore calls on the Prime Minister to immediately reinstate Dr Posala, and to review Regulation 26 to exempt frontline professionals from the media gag.

–OPPOSITION PRESS

THE Government is calling on ship operators to comply with Maritime Safety Laws of the country.

The call was made as the Government launched two separate investigations into the recent sea accident involving the MV Taimareho which has resulted in 27 passengers washed overboard when the vessel encountered rough seas triggered by cyclone Harold Thursday last week.

Bodies of seven of the missing passengers have been recovered during the week while a search mission for the remaining 20 bodies are ongoing.

A statement from the Office of the Prime Minister today said the first investigation comprises a two-part investigation by the Solomon Islands Maritime Safety Administration (SIMSA).

The first part has already commenced – the preliminary investigation into the tragic incident in which the 27 passengers were washed overboard from MV Taimareho on the night of 2 April 2020. A Marine Investigation Officer has been appointed by the Director of SIMSA in accordance with the Shipping Act 1998, and Shipping (Marine Inquiries and Investigations) Regulations 2011.

The second part involves the Commissioning of a ‘Board of Marine Inquiry’ by the Minister under the Act to conduct a formal enquiry into the incident.  The Board of Marine Inquiry will commence its work following the appointment by the Minister of its Chairperson and two members.

The second investigation is a criminal investigation commissioned by the Commissioner of Police as a result of suspicious deaths. This will involve interviews of passengers, crews, shipping company and other persons or bodies of interest to establish facts resulting in suspicious deaths.

These investigations will look at the legality of certain actions or decisions taken or not taken leading to the ship departing Honiara on the night of 2nd April including the incident and post-incident activities. The findings and recommendations of these investigations will be presented to the relevant authorities.

These two investigations will provide adequate assurance into the cause of the incident. The government does not intend to do a Commission of Inquiry simply because a proper mechanism to investigate maritime accidents already exist in law, is already executed and will accomplish a comprehensive assessment that will be completed within a much shorter timeframe. Together with the Police investigations the outcomes of these investigations could result in charges being laid.

By contrast, and based on previous Commissions of Inquiries, a Commission of Inquiry is a very lengthy and costly process that could take a few years to complete which will not enable families affected by this tragedy to have closure for a long time.

As the two levels of inquiries proceed, the government is very aware that 27 of our citizens may have all lost their lives in this tragic incident and their families and relatives are suffering.

“Ship operators and captains must not break the Maritime Laws of the country when implementing government policy. These laws govern how ships operate for safety and security of passengers. They cannot break the law to implement government policy,” the OPMC Statement said.

The government is aware and appreciative that shipping operators are responding positively to implementing the government policy decision to assist our people to relocate to their home provinces as a result of our COVID-19 measures.

A lot of commentary has been carried by the papers and social media platforms regarding the search and rescue operations following the tragedy.

Meanwhile, the government has set up a humanitarian committee coordinated by the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet with representatives from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, the Ministry of Traditional Governance, Peace and Ecclesiastical Affairs and representatives of families and relatives that have lost loved ones.

This Committee is tasked to consider what and how best the Government can support families of the missing passenger as a nation, as a people and as a government.

“There will be ways through which we can all contribute to ease the suffering of our fellow citizens whose loved ones had been taken away from them. We ask you all to listen out and to contribute what you can to what our committee comes up with to support our families most affected by this tragic tragedy,” the OPMC Statement said.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare on Monday has personally met with the MP for West Are’are, Hon. John Maneniaru and family representatives of the missing person to express his profound condolences and sympathy to those affected by this tragedy.

–GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATION UNIT