By EDDIE OSIFELO

MEMBERS of Solomon Islands National Provident Fund (SINPF) who are entitled under the COVID-19 exemption orders have experienced a smooth process of collecting their funds at Honiara High School.

This was due to the payment process and procedure implemented at the payment location site by SINPF staff.

Island Sun visited the site yesterday and witnessed the payment process where members would check their names at one table, verify their names with another SIPNF staff before joining the queue inside the hall.

In the hall, the SINPF staff sitting in front of the computer sorted out each member before he or she went to another location to get his or her payment.

The Police Response Unit was engaged to guide the payment venues.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SINPF Board Mike Wate said a UNCDF Digital Finance expert Mr. Sanjay.B.Shah was engaged to architect some strategies on how the payment should be delivered effectively and efficiently.

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 47 least developed countries (LDCs).

Governor of Central Bank, Luke Forau last week visited the site to see the payment system utilised by the SINPF staff and was really impressed with it.

Mr Wate said it’s a learning experience as a first of its kind to happen to SINPF Board since its existence in 1976.

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.

More than 1000 members have received their payments so far since the exemption came into force on the 1^st of April 2020.

There are members with no mobile numbers and also members who missed their collection dates and times.

These members are requested to contact the Fund on 673 or on our 2 direct lines 25147 or 25149 go to the payment site for their payments for those who received their messages.

The Covid-9 exemption order expires on June, 30th 2020.

BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO

A 14-room quarantine home for staff, who may encounter COVID-19 case has been refurbished and is now available at the National Referral Hospital (NRH) compound says Minister for Health Dickson Mua.

With this, more than 2000 COVID-19 health advocators have been trained and equipped in all the provinces and in Honiara.

Mua said there are 179 trained National Referral Hospital staff currently on roster for full activation around the clock.

“Of this, 22 doctors are triage doctors. Isolation Doctors and Nurses accounts for 70,” he said.

Mua also adds there is a Solomon Islands Medical Assistance Team (SOLMAT) team consisting of nine staff on a monthly roster basis who are capable to be deployed at short notice.

BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO

SOLOMON Islands through the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) and its partners have planned to adopt and articulate effective public health control measures practiced by other countries based on SI’s context.

This was unveiled by Minister of Health Dickson Mua on Monday 20th April at the occasion of the Prime Ministers first official visit to the National Referral Hospital (NRH) to COVID facility site.

He said these measures include, compliance with instructions not to allow overcrowding in local context, family houses have an average person of seven to ten and compliance with instructions for social distancing in public places, churches, transport to maintain a one to two meters distance.

Also working from home, allowing disperse markets and more streamlined livelihood needs, hand hygiene is to be the norm of life, Financial electronic banking lifeline and incorporation of COVID-19 control and public measure through all financial electronic gateways.

And widespread testing, using an effective laboratory equipment and information management system throughout the Solomon Islands, rational use of Personal Protection Equipment’s (PPE), health system pre-positioned stockpiles of supplies and consumables and linkages into a robust control and command centers.

BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO           

ALL provincial schools are set to resume classes on 27^th April on stages except for schools within the emergency zones in Guadalcanal, Noro, Munda, Choiseul and Shortland including Honiara.

This was announced by Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD) Dr. Franco Rodie in a talk back show on COVID19 update on Sunday 19th April at the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Cooperation (SIBC).

PS Rodie explains that only exam classes which are forms 3, 5, 6 and 7 from the provinces will resume classes on April 27, 2020.

He said all students from forms 1, 2, and 4 including Early Childhood Centres, primary classes 1-6 and Rural Training Centres (RTC) should remain at their respective homes and villages until further notice is issued by the MEHRD.

With this, he said the ministry will roll out an assessment to acquire information if there is a need to recall students studied in the remaining province these include, Honiara, Guadalcanal, Western province especially Noro, Munda and Shortland Islands and Choiseul bay in Choiseul province.

Meanwhile, PS Rodie advices Education Authorities, teachers, students and parent s to listen to the ministry’s radio program on SIBC for detailed information.

PRIME Minister Manasseh Sogavare was inspired that in a very short period of six month the bilateral relationship with People’s Republic of China not only developed but made invaluable progress despite the limitations caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

He made this statement in his nationwide address on Friday.

He said it was only 6 months ago the Government had signed the Framework Agreement Establishing the Diplomatic Relations between Solomon Islands and the People’s Republic of China. 

“I am inspired that in a very short period of 6 months, this relationship has not only developed, but made invaluable progress despite the limitations caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

He said the Government of the Peoples Republic of China through its Honiara Embassy handed over three distinct partnership programs last week which included grant assistance towards hosting the 2023 Pacific Games combined with cash donations to support our COVID-19 response and Tropical Cyclone Harold rehabilitation.   

“Fellow Solomon Islanders, The People’s Republic of China has also donated laboratory equipment and reagents, coronavirus test kits and personal protective equipment.

“Many of these equipment and PPEs will arrive in the country this week by air and by sea and others will continue to arrive in due course,” he said.

Support covers lab equipment, testing kits, Medical gloves, Personal Protective Equipment, various Masks, Medical, surgical and N95. Infrared thermometers and medical goggles.  

He also extends his sincere appreciation to all other bilateral partners and donors including Australia and New Zealand who are continuously supporting the Government during this trying time. 

MINISTER of Finance and Treasury, Hon Harry Kuma 19th April revealed that the Government, on the 9th April, 2020, issued the first ever Solomon Islands Government COVID-19 Domestic Development Bond, up-to SBD $120 million, to interested buyers of the Bond.

According to the Minister, there are up to 5 domestic interested buyers of COVID-19 Development Bonds, but the Ministry will negotiate with only 3 prospective buyers.

The Minister also explained that the COVID-19 Domestic Development Bond will be negotiated according to the Government’s borrowing guidelines and process, and will also include within the 2020 Annual Borrowing Limit or ABL.

The Minister also revealed that the COVID-19 Development Bonds was issued as part of the Government’s strategy to mobilize resources to fund the Government’s COVID-19 Economic Stimulus Package that will be put to cabinet later this week.

Key usage of the COVID-19 Bond will be directed towards major infrastructures, which include bridges, roads and wharves that connect key productive, and resource sectors hub as well as infrastructure that connect to essential public services like health and education.

Furthermore, it was revealed that part of the COVID-19 Bond will be used as equity injection into ICSI’s portfolio company like the Soltuna, KFPL, and Solomon Airlines as well as towards specific investments and products of the Development Bank of Solomon Islands.

According to the Minister, the COVID-19 Domestic Bond is like killing 2 birds with 1 stone analogy, because whilst these investments are act as stimulus spending into the local economy because of the anticipation on engagement of local contractors, the investments also plays an important role as catalyst towards medium to long term economic growth in Solomon Islands.

Minister Kuma further revealed that the COVID-19 Development Bond transaction will send a positive signal to external investors noting that our financial and economic environment remains resilient, despite the social and economic fallout as the result of COVID-19 pandemic.

On this note, the Minister expressed the Government’s gratitude to the prospective buyers of the COVID-19 Domestic Development Bond, of their confidence to the Government effort to ensure that economic activities and growth remain vibrant, despite the challenges that overshadow the country due to COVID-19 pandemic.