IN the government’s budget outlook for 2018, a lot of health support comes from External support.
The Solomon Islands 2018 budget is supported by donors, ie; Australian budget support of $76.6 million for health services, EU $24.0 million to MHMS, Global fund $10 million in support to operations in the MHMS, Joint United Nations $1.6 million to support operations in MHMS, UNICEF $3.2 million in support to operations in MHMS, WHO is providing $2.2 million, UNPF $2.6 million, Family Planning Australia, $0.1 million to MHMS, Fred Hollows (Australia) $0.2 million to support eye related programmes, Healthy lifestyle promotion fund $3.5 million to MHMS, KOICA $1.5 million to GP Health service, Republic of China $6 million.
With so much support geared towards Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) it is just incredulous that we are facing a shortage of medicines and supplies because of the procurement process.
While there is so much money and budget support from external donors, we continue to face problems in the health sector.
What is wrong?
The delay in procurement shouldn’t be an excuse.
Procurement is standard procedure. Solomon Islands as a country has a standard Essential Medicines List (EML) and currently there are less than 500 EML that Solomon Islands orders annually.
With standard procedure such as purchase of pharmaceutical drugs, then there shouldn’t be a problem.
The MHMS has a National Procurement Plan and Annual Tender Guideline.
This document sets out the framework by which procurement is undertaken by the National Pharmacy and Services Division and also establishes step by step plan on how to undertake an annual tender from budgeting and planning through quantification and bid evaluation etc.
Who is not doing his or her job?
The procurement processes for government in buying goods and services is clearly stated for everyone to see.
Procurements of more than $100,000 and up to $500,000 are required to be approved by a Ministerial Tender Board.
Procurements in excess of $500,000 must be approved by the Central Tender Board.
The issue of procurement should have been clarified and/or persons NOT doing their job should be removed or disciplined.
DEAR EDITOR, last week it was reported in the Island Sun newspaper that the Solomon Islands Government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) had concluded a three-year project which resulted in a set of commitments towards environment issues in the country.
In his address at the project closure workshop, Dr Culwic Togamana said a key threats to the natural environment was unsustainable resource harvesting through legal or illegal logging and mining.
He also mentioned threats such as large agricultural developments coupled with widespread subsistence farming, as well as climate change.
Dr Togamana added, “In realization of those threats repeated calls had been echoed over the years for sustainable and proper management of our environment and resources.”
“This has led to some awareness and researches being conducted to help gauge and support communities interested in seriously considering sustainable management of their resources.”
Dr. Togamana went on to say (quote)
“The SIG has been collaborating with international partners and local organizations to try and address the threats.”
“The ratification of Multi-Lateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) such as the Rio Conventions— UNFCCC, UNCBD, UNCCD being examples of the international collaboration.”
He said domestically, amongst others the SIG had enacted key laws such as the Environment Act and its regulations and the Protected Areas Act.
Also, important policies had been developed and endorsed by the cabinet, he added. “The key ones cabinet endorsed included the Climate Change Policy, the National REDD+ Readiness Roadmap, the Climate Change NAPA, and the NBSAP.”
“However, a challenge people face, currently, there is a huge gap between how those laws and policies have transpired to the provincial or rural level,” he commented.
“Provincial Governments and rural populations do not even understand the purposes of the laws and policies which weaken their ability to actively participate in utilizing or implementing them.”
Looking at the trend, Dr. Togamana said there is a need for nationwide awareness.
The UNDP Country Manager, Ms Azusa Kubota, also speaking during the closing workshop, said the project showcased many incidents of the on-going collaboration between the UNDP and the Solomon Islands Government.
She explained despite the project having lapsed there would continue to be collaboration between the SIG and UNDP to address the significant global environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation.
She reportedly said, “One of the key objectives of the project is to increase public awareness and understanding of the conventions through the REDD+ process.”
She added that resulting from a partnership with the Solomon Islands National University and the Government; the project had developed a Resource Text Book and Teachers Guide.
Given the view that the current laws mentioned by Dr.Togamana are not being understood and consequently not be properly enacted, I would hope that the Resource Text Book and Teachers Guide will be put to effective and immediate use to increase public awareness of both the threats to the natural environment and the important steps needed for protection.
I have always been puzzled why it is that some traditional resource owners have not been encouraged over the years to have considered sustainable management of their forest resources by having set up saw milling operations which allows the forests to be properly managed and knowing a single tree can earn approximately 20 times more by milling it than selling the log to a logging company.
By obtaining such high returns the forests could be properly managed for generations.
Saw milling processing by local communities has higher benefits than large scale logging, resulting in much less environmental damage and such operations are far more sustainable in respect of the future availability of forest resources.
While it is acknowledged that the concept of nature has rights, the people have stewardship over the many natural resources in the Solomon Islands and it is vitally important for increased environmental protection and awareness of all the laws introduced to protect and safeguard the environment now and in the future and they are understood and properly enforced through willing and cooperative measures.
As stewards of our land we have the moral obligation to protect our natural resources for future generations to share and to benefit from all our richness of flora and fauna.
DEAR EDITOR, against the backdrop of recent talks to establish a long-term vision for the future with a functional national security policy I believe an elderly mother from Malaita Province had some words to say over the weekend which, to me, highlighted one of the most neglected security concerns at the core of national unity and economic prosperity, the lack of rural development and job creation that has beset the country for the last 21 years to my knowledge.
Indeed the analysis of the current security threats facing the nation, as outlined at the workshop to consider a national security policy for the future, were no different to the threats that I spoke about in 1998 and threats that were later highlighted in a Security Review undertaken by the Australian Government, at the request of the Solomon Island Government, at my urging in mid-1998.
Rural development and trickle down job creation has been left behind by successive governments for far too long
Speaking to the media from Auki on the eve of the 40th independence celebrations, Maria Teikui, used words which I believe are words most people would want to say to the government of the day.
She reportedly said (quote)
“The government needs to redirect much needed economic development activities to rural centres in Solomon Islands.
“To me, the country’s 40th year of independence is another time for current leaders to remember past achievements.
“I believe that if the government concentrated on redirecting economic development down to rural centres in Solomon Islands, government services will reach every Solomon Islanders equally,”
She reportedly went on to add that the lack of economic development in the rural areas in Solomon Islands had forced young people to leave their communities to search for jobs in Honiara.
Mrs Teikui added –
“This is a pull -factor that the government needs to redirect and consider, by creating strategies that rightly targets the interest of young people.
“Nowadays, I see most young people are interested in going to Honiara, where they think they can find a decent job.
“This has caused less participation of youths in the development of rural communities nationwide.
“Leaders should take up full responsibility to providing equal government services to all citizens.
There was no talk in the past of a “Bottoms Up” approach to rural development but nothing materialized and if national security is to be reviewed then rural development and localised job creation must no longer be sidelined.
I would like to suggest that the SIG consider Community Based Integrated Rural Development Centres to confront the challenges of low economic infrastructure, development, job creation and biodiversity loss through the participation of rural communities in a variety of sustainable livelihood activities.
Rural communities in the Solomon Islands have endured too many decades of economic marginalization and lack of basic social services.
Thailand has offered help to the Solomon Islands Government in the past and I would encourage the SIG to seek the help of the Royal Thai Government to learn about the success of Thailand’s Population and Community Development Association which created many Community Based Integrated Rural Development Centres since the 1980s to deal with the concerns and needs of the rural population and obtained much success to the satisfaction of many communities.
THE REDD+ roadmap aims to prepare Solomon Islands to be REDD+ ready by 2020.
This was expressed in UNDP’s “Integrating Global Environment Commitments in Investment and Development Decision Making Project Solomon Islands” report.
The report highlights what REDD+, a UN programme, aims to accomplish in the Solomon Islands.
UNDP stated that the vision of REDD+ in the country is to establish a sustainably managed forest sector which supports rural livelihoods, maintains the quality of the environment, contributes to national socio-economic development and to reduce levels of emissions from the forest sector.
All the more, key policy areas for REDD+ identified by the roadmap include; reducing impact of commercial agriculture, sustainable management of forests, reforestation, afforestation and plantation, forest reserves and protected areas.
Three phases of the Solomon Islands national REDD+ roadmap are REDD+ scoping, piloting capacity development and reform and scale up activities.
The Solomon Islands government ratified the UNFCCC in 1994 and used the platform to battle domestic climate change.
From 1994 to 2016, regional partnerships were strengthened to combat climate change and there was also the establishment of communication and reporting channels with UNFCCC.
On top of that, national policy and key programme areas like agriculture, water and sanitation progressed as well as the development of the “Solomon Islands REDD+ Readiness Roadmap 2014-2020” under the UNREDD Programme (United Nations Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation).
Paul Labukode [R] and Peter Sagaru walk out of Vancouver International Airport after receiving their 24 month's work permit under GP-CITREC partnership. Photos from Canadian Government Communications
CANADA’s Dairy Industry Workforce was further strengthened yesterday following the arrival of two more workers under the Canadian International Training & Education Corp (CITREC) Guadalcanal Province (GP) partnership.
GP -CITREC Worker’s Peter Sagaru & Paul Labukode touched down at Vancouver International Airport where they received a two-year work permit to be employed as Dairy farm workers in Chilliwack, British Columbia.
“We are so pleased to be in Canada. We just can’t get to start working and sending money back home,” both Sagaru and Labukode said.
CITREC Chairman Ashwant Dwivedi hands over work permit to the newly arrived GP-CITREC workers at the Vancouver International airport. Showing off their work permits are Paul Labukode (Left) and Peter Sagaru.
CITREC Chairman Ashwant Dwivedi announced that the number of workers from GP into Canada is set to grow.
Dwivedi told a Canadian media conference that “We at CITREC strongly believe that the best way we can fight unemployment and poverty in parts of Solomon Islands is by empowering people of the Solomon Islands, and creating employment opportunities for the people in country such as Canada where foreign workers make significant part of Canadian workforce”.
“This is something we have been successfully doing through our partnership between Guadalcanal province and CITREC and soon we will include other provinces of the Solomon Islands that will be benefiting from the same arrangements.”
Sagaru and Labukode, while being granted their work permits, were greeted into Canada by Immigration and Border officials.
“We welcome you both from Guadalcanal province into Canada and we are pleased to see that you are here to work. I hereby under Canada’s Immigration act grant you a work permit for 24-months to work for your employer named hereto in your work permit,” Immigration official said.
Soon after receiving their work permit both workers were handed over their Canadian medical insurance which immediately covers them for their medical insurance in Canada.
Sagaru told CITREC Chairman Dwivedi that he is excited to be in Canada.
“Just like my other colleagues who are already in Canada, I will always work hard and make my province and Solomon Islands proud,” Sagaru said.
Labukode said that he is also looking forward to the opportunity especially when salary paid in Canada is much higher then what people in Solomon Islands receive.
“I have been waiting for this opportunity. I would always be checking with the Guadalcanal education office as to when I will be travelling. Finally, my dream has come true. I thank the province of GP and CITREC for this opportunity,” Labukode said.
Dwivedi reminded the newly admitted workers that while in Canada they must be on their best behaviour and they must always perform beyond the expectations of their employers.
“You must always remember that your actions will have immediate and long-term effect on the people of Guadalcanal and Solomon Islands. You have been issued with a 24-month work permit, this should tell you that your employer has confidence in your ability.
“You must maintain this confidence and the expectations of your employer and perform to the best of your ability,” Dwivedi said.
Dwivedi further told the workers that drug and alcohol use has no place during their employment term in Canada.
“I remain confident that you will work to the best of your ability and prove to your employer that their choice of having you as their employees was the right choice,” Dwivedi said.
“I must also remind that as part of remittances accord each month from your net pay you will be sending money back to the Province of Guadalcanal.
“These funds you will be sending will be used to further build province. You must remain committed,” Dwivedi said.
Paul Labukode [R] and Peter Sagaru walk out of Vancouver International Airport after receiving their 24 month’s work permit under GP-CITREC partnership. Photos from Canadian Government CommunicationsDwivedi also encouraged the workers to send money back to their family in the Solomon Islands.
“When you send money back to your family in the Solomon Islands you are just not helping your family but the economy of Solomon Islands as well. I encourage you to use your funds wisely. Save and share with your family in the Solomon Islands,” Dwivedi urged the newly arrived workers
Dwivedi further said that he believes that by the end of next year the number of Solomon Islands nationals that are expected to work in Canada will significantly grow as more provinces are joining the programme.
“Canada’s foreign worker benefit is one of the best that is enjoyed by Guadalcanal workers. We in Canada treat our workers as family. And so far, our Guadalcanal workers have continued to show their dedication and commitment to their Canadian employers,” Dwivedi said.
Canada has started to issue Guadalcanal workers with 24-month work permits. Canada’s employment opportunity comes with Canadian standard wages, medical and housing, where a significant cost, housing is paid for by the Canadian employer. Employees under the contract only pay $30 a week in rental cost.
Also, employers pay for return air fare for the workers as part of their arrangement under Canada’s employment regulation. The airline ticket cost is not deducted from employee salaries.
“Our Canadian benefit under the foreign worker program is something that is widely talked about. When we have our workers from Solomon Islands they are also covered under the Workers Compensation insurance.
“This gives both the employer and employee a piece of mind that should worst ever happen there is workers compensation that will ensure that the employee is fairly compensated,” Dwivedi said.
He further said that Canada’s medical insurance also provided full medical coverage to these workers.
“As long as these workers remain in Canada they are covered under the medical insurance which ensures they have access to medical care that may arise,” Dwivedi said.
Last week it was announced that Solomon Islands National’s who are Job Ready graduates of the Canadian International Training & Education Corp (CITREC) programme from Guadalcanal have been included in a new stream of employment which includes employment in Canada’s Food Processing sector.
Also included in the pilot project will be the province of Makira-Ulawa, which has recently been added to list of eligible provinces alongside the Province of Guadalcanal as part of the labour mobility partnership with Canada.
Furthermore, this opportunity will also be extended to any province that will partner with CITREC.
Speaking on the achievement, Dwivedi said that “Solomon Islands and the people of Guadalcanal have created a very strong trust among Canadian employers through their performance that is helping to create more opportunity among many sectors across Canada.
“Guadalcanal people and province must be congratulated for their leadership in area of creating partnership with Canadian employers”.
He also said that Solomon Islanders dedication, good nature and work ethic are very well credited for by the Guadalcanal workers who are presently in Canada under GP-CITREC partnership which is resulting in more employers
During the presentation of documents to the two workers bound for Canada last week in a statement Guadalcanal Province’s Minister for Education Lazarus Rima had also reminded the two Canada bound workers that when they arrive in Canada his province only expects the best from them and that they must uphold their commitment to the Canadian employer.
“I want to remind you that you both represent your families, community, province and Solomon Islands as a whole. I only expect the best from both of you. Remain committed and dedicated and make Guadalcanal and Solomon Islands proud,” Rima said.
Rima has also reminded the two Canada bound workers to be good ambassadors and display their identity as responsible Guadalcanal people.
“Also let me remind you that when you touch down on Canadian soil you must be willing and ready to be follow Canadian law. You must always uphold the laws of Canada to your benefit and interest,” Minister Rina said.
Guadalcanal Finance Minister Amaziah Keith Rubo said that the GP-CITREC partnership is growing and that he wants to see the programme grow further.
“Therefore, you all act as important persons towards our partnership with Canada. As our partnership has already started to yield financial benefit we at the Guadalcanal government remain committed to see the human resources aspect of the program grow as well,” Rubo said.
SOLOMON Islands has developed and endorsed a National REDD+ Readiness Roadmap 2014-2020.
This is according to a UNDP report titled “Proposed best practices, financial and economic instruments to implement the REDD+ Readiness Roadmap in the Solomon Islands”.
REDD+ is a strategy that was developed by partners of UNFCCC’s (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) as mitigation commitments. It is also an international policy intended to channel funding from public and private sources to reduce emissions from forest sectors, especially in developing countries.
Henceforth, under the IGECIDDM (Integrating Global Environment Commitments in Investment and Development Decision Making) project, the Solomon Islands government through MECDM, MoFR and MAL ministries is working with UNDP to implement the roadmap.
The report expressed that there are three main activities for REDD+ Readiness in the Solomon Islands REDD+ Readiness Roadmap however is in need of amending of legislation to be formalized.
Additionally, the three elements are the formulation of a national strategy, set up of a MRV system with a National Monitoring System along with the establishment of a Forest Reference Level (FRL) or Forest Reference Emission Level (FREL) with the third element being the establishment of social and environmental safeguards, possibly in the context of a safeguard information system.
UNDP stated that each of the elements could attract different types of additional co-financing in the sense that the formulation of a national strategy could align with a general update of the country’s forestry management policies, strategies and action plans.
“Often substantial amounts of funding are made available for forestry management plans”, said UNDP.
In the case of social safeguards, the report mentioned that it can be linked to other efforts to support indigenous groups as well as in facilitating their participation in consulting processes.
(From Left) Speedtech rep. ROC Embassy rep. (Centre) & SINU rep. during the signing ceremony. Photo from SINU Media
(From Left) Speedtech rep. ROC Embassy rep. (Centre) & SINU rep. during the signing ceremony. Photo from SINU Media
THE much awaited solar project promised by the President of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Madam Tsai Ing-Wen was made official on Friday, July 13 between SINU and Speedtech Energy Ltd.
During Taiwan’s Presidential visit to Honiara last year, Madame Tsai promised a USD1-million solar project gift for the people of Solomon Islands through its National University.
Since then, a project team consisting of representatives from ROC Embassy, the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Mines Energy and Rural Electrification, Solomon Power and SINU worked tirelessly to bring the project to this stage.
Acting Vice-Chancellor of SINU Professor (Dr) Prem Rai says the signing marks a key milestone in getting the project into realisation.
“SINU is looking forward to the completion of the project and the benefits that we will have when Solar Power System is fully installed and completed.”
Rai said SINU Project team had made some cost benefit analysis of the project and the University is expected to save around $0.5 million in electricity bill in a year in the first few years when the Power System is up and running.
“This amount of $0.5 million as saving will increase and double when SINU maximise the usage of the 400 kW produced by the Solar Power System and that is our future focus.
“The dollar saved can be used in other areas to improve the service delivery of the university.”
He thanked the President and the Government of the Republic of China for choosing SINU to be the recipient of the USD$1-million project.
He furthers that it is the right choice because it will benefit the many young Solomon Islanders who are the human resources of the country.
General Manager of Speedtech Energy Ltd Mr Lucas Chu thanked SINU tender board team for choosing his company to setup the solar project here. We have many projects in Japan, Germany, African countries and of course in Taiwan; this will be our first project in the Solomons.
Chu strongly expressed that he will not lose his country’s face.
“We will install the best products for SINU.
“My company already made a decision to setup a solar panel factory here; we will bring the assemble manufacturing so that Solomon Islanders will buy Solar panels made in the Solomons,” concluded the Speedtech GM.
Deputy Counsellor of the ROC Embassy Mr Oliver Weng is pleased that the project was made official between SINU and Speedtech Energy.
He said Taiwan is a good friend of Solomon Islands and over the past year helped in a lot of projects.
“Mid last year, the then Prime Minister Hon Manaseh Sogavare stated to my President that SINU is operated fully on Government’s grants.
“He stated that SINU spent a lot in utility fees and seeking if Taiwan could assist the University.
“My Government sees the importance of the National University, and that is why we are going to install a solar power farm for the University.”
Once the solar project is fully operational, SINU will produce 400kW of electricity on its own for its uses.
Currently, SINU is using about 200KW from Solomon Power to meet its electricity demands.
General Manager of Speedtech Energy Ltd. Mr Lucas Chu. Photo from SINU Media
General Manager of Speedtech Energy Ltd. Mr Lucas Chu. Photo from SINU Media
THE USD 1 Million Solar project awarded to the National University directly by the President of Republic of China (Taiwan) Tsai Ing-Wen will be installed by a Taiwan solar tech giant – Speedtech Energy Co Ltd.
The General Manager of Speedtech Energy gave a brief overview about the company during the signing ceremony.
Speedtech Energy Co Ltd is a total solar solution provider specialised in the design, development, and manufacture of solar photovoltaic and LED power solutions.
“At Speedtech Energy, we started 17 years ago with the singular pursuit of building a better world: to make the air clearer, the planet healthier while providing energy to those still left out in the dark.
“We believe Solar is becoming the mainstream for future global power solution.
“This is because Solar is the solution to the main energy challenges facing our world today: The rising energy prices, the climate change threat, but not forgetting there is still more than a billion people living without access to energy.
“This is Speedtech Energy’s mission: To provide clean, efficient and affordable energy solutions for a sustainable growth.
“For the past 17 years, our products have been successfully used in urban and rural development projects as well as educational institutions around the globe.
“Every day our R&D team continues to aim at finding innovative solutions for improving the infrastructure and people’s quality of living in numerous emergent countries.”
A motivational talk by Friends of the City, encouraging the importance of community service in communities.
THE Honiara Youth@Work (Y@W) embraces its second intake for 2018 and has started rolling out its activities yesterday with an orientation.
Now reaching Phase 14, youth will begin their series of activities for the next six months period with a community service work.
Y@W programme focuses on school leavers between the ages of 17-28 and recruit twice a year with 250 spaces available in each recruitment.
The programme focuses on providing opportunities for young people to improve their long term economic prospects through its two components, The Internship and The Entrepreneurship.
More than 200 young people are eligeble to become part of the Phase 14 for 2018.
The youth will have to go through a number of activities including basic pre-employment training, career expo, basic computing training, mentoring sessions, awareness session on cross cutting issues and 15 weeks of internships and respectively basic business trainings and start-up materials will be provided for aspiring entrepreneurs.
The Y@W Recruitment Team shared their thoughts during the recruitment that there is a good number of young people that have applied, more than what was anticipated.
“We will continue to be strict with the selection to make sure we recruit within the age range and give opportunity to those that have no prior job experiences. It is quite an encounter for our team to turn people away, knowing that they too have been looking for job opportunities,” MS Joyce Aburii the Group leader for Recruitment says, when asked about the challenge faced during recruiting a large batch of young people.
A motivational talk by Friends of the City, encouraging the importance of community service in communities.
The programme and its staff continues to acknowledge all who have continued to support the programme during the first six months and will be looking forward for continuous collaboration in the next six months of 2018.
Youth@Work is facilitated by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, in partnership and supported by funding from the Queens Young Leaders Programme (UK), the Australian Government Aid Programme, the Pacific Leadership Programme and Plan International.
Implementation is done in partnership with the Solomon Islands Ministry of National Unity, Peace and Reconciliation, the Ministry of Commerce, Industries, Labour and Immigration, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs.
Youth@Work is an initiative to tackle youth unemployment in Solomon Islands and to help youth of the Solomon’s find pathways to employment and entrepreneurship.
A young group leader was appointed by the young people themselves for monitoring and keeping track of attendences each work sessions.
OPPOSITION leader Manasseh Maelanga has called on the Government to declare a state of medical emergency and quickly address the medical drugs at the national hospital (NRH).
In a press statement from the Opposition Communication Unit, Maelanga calls for urgent coordinated efforts from national leaders and authorities responsible to address such crippling shortage of drugs and medicine at the NRH.
Maelanga also reiterates his previous call for the removal of the permanent secretary for the Ministry of Health and Medical Services.
He said the drug shortage had worsened since he made a call previously following several concerns raised by the public urging the government to prioritise it.
Recent media reports and information from inside sources reaching the Office of the Leader of Opposition claim that the nation’s drug shortage has reached ‘crisis point’.
At the plight of this situation doctors and nurses are in desperate measures to meet patients’ needs as the country braces for the coming months.
The Opposition Group is gravely concerned that the shortage has prompted potentially harmful mix-up of medication as nurses and doctors work their best to substitute commonly-used drugs for patient treatment.
Maelanga said “the severe drug shortage issue we are currently facing is a public health crisis that calls for urgent action by the government.
“The shortage must be treated as a national security issue and the government needs to come out truthfully on the real extent of the issue.
“This is an inevitable consequence of a failed system.
“Whilst we cannot completely eliminate the issue, more planning and better coordination between key stakeholders can have meaningful impact on challenges that can give rise to drug shortages in the country,” Maelanga said.
Last week, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Health and Medical Services Dr Tenneth Dalipada has confirmed “triggered” emergency procurement plan.
The aim is to ensure urgently-needed drugs for the National Referral Hospital are delivered by air and ships between now and September, Dalipanda said.
