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‘Get the jab’ Sisilo tells SI workers in Australia

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Coffee and snacks with 4 (include photographer) of our workers at a sheep farm in Katanning, Western Australia

Solomon Islands’ High Commissioner to Australia, Robert Sisilo, has told Solomon Island workers in Australia to get their COVID-19 jabs if they have not yet got their first and second vaccine doses.

This is despite the country hitting a key milestone as more than 80 percent of Australians aged 16 and over have now had at least one vaccine dose.

“It is important to get vaccinated to keep yourself, your family and your community safe,” Sisilo told the workers.

“COVID-19 has resulted in the deaths of millions of people worldwide,” he added.

“When more people are vaccinated, outbreaks of the disease are less deadly.

“Being vaccinated helps save lives.”

Sisilo, based in Canberra, made the appeal in a 3-minute COVID-19 vaccination video to address the disappointing rates of vaccinations among workers.

“In some cases, if you are not vaccinated you will be unable to work.

“For example, if you are required to travel between states that require a vaccine on entry (e.g. seasonal workers) or if you are in an industry where you are required to be fully vaccinated, such as aged care or meat processing,” Sisilo warned when encouraging workers to vaccinate on the Pacific Labour Facility social media platforms.

Solomon Islands plays a crucial role in addressing workforce shortages across a range of sectors in regional Australia. 

Since the restart of Australia’s Seasonal Worker Programme (SWP) and Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS) in September last year, 1,806 from the Solomon Islands have arrived at the end of September 2021. 

And another 160 (70 women, 90 men) have left early in the week and more to follow.

According to one research, countries that have increased their share in the restart period are Solomon Islands (from 3% to 13%), Samoa (from 7% to 13%) and Fiji (from 4% to 7%).   

Vanuatu’s share of both SWP and PLS workers has decreased from 43% in the immediate pre-COVID period to 39% since the restart. 

Tonga, also a major sending country, has seen its share fall from 26% pre-COVID to 23%.

“To take advantage of this huge labour market, Solomon Islands will have to invest more on vocational and skills training in hospitality, tourism, aged care, housekeeping, welding, bricklaying, tiling, tinting, panel beating, vehicle mechanic, fitting, machining, plumbing, construction, fishing sectors etc. 

“The demand for skills and semi-skilled jobs is growing and will continue to grow,” Sisilo, who has put labour mobility with Australia his number one priority, told his Director of Trade in one of his postings.

17 docs still refuse covid-19 vaccine

Written by
Mavis Podokolo
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BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO

SEVENTEEN doctors at the National Referral Hospital (NRH) continue to avoid being vaccinated.

This is according to the chief executive officer of the NRH, Dr George Malefoasi.

He confirmed this yesterday during a press conference with local journalists at the Prime Minister’s Office.

He said there are 95 doctors from key departments at the NRH; of this total number, 17 doctor still refuse to get vaccinated with the covid-19 vaccines.

“Of the 95 doctors at NRH key departments 17 refused to take the vaccine. So, at the moment we are still talking with them but they still stand not to receive the jab.

“Out the 17 doctors three are from a very high positions and key decision maker clinicians in one of our key department at the NRH,” Malefoasi said.

He stressed they are looking at having another dialogue with them and also to engage international doctors to get the doctors to receive their jab.

“As a CEO I am very much concerned on three senior doctors from one of our key department, all the rest are junior registrars. These junior ones need to decide,” Malefoasi said.        

Dr Jones Ghabu, senior consultant physician at NRH and head of internal medicine department, in a recent radio talkback show had appealed to all doctors and nurses who have not yet had their jab to do so.

“I again asked all Doctors and Nurses who are unvaccinated in the country to please go get your jab because if there should be an outbreak of covid-19 in the country all of us will be affected,” Ghabu said.

He said all individuals have the risk to get infected with the covid-19 virus. The only way to minimise it is to get vaccinated.

Ghabu also called on all citizens in the country to no get manipulated by theories about the covid-19; “theories are not truthful,” he said.

He uttered, “the truth is that people are dying everyday with the COVID-19 virus. The vaccine that we are trying to rolling-out works and saves a lot people.”

Girls Day marked here

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Guest of honours cutting the cake marking the IDG

SOLOMON Islands yesterday marked International Day of the Girl (IDG).

A two-day program was organized by Plan International Solomon Islands and Care International which brought together their partners such as the Honiara City Council and Young Christian Women’s Association, YWCA Safer Cities for Girls clubs and Care International clubs in Honiara.

The guest of honours at the celebration at the S-M-I grounds are the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs, Dr Cedric Alependava, the Acting Australian High Commissioner to Solomon Islands Sally Anne Vincent, President of YWCA Georgina Ariki,  Plan International Solomon Islands’ Country Program Manager Joseph Hika, Country Manager for Live and Learn Environmental  Education Elmah Panisi and the head of the People with Disabilities Association of Solomon Islands, Casper Fa’asala.

The International Day of the Girl was declared by the United Nations to focus attention on the challenges girls face, like violence, education inequality and child marriages.

It is also a day to celebrate the work and achievements of girls and women, gender inequalities  and the needs of women and girls and a reminder that girls across the world face numerous adversities and yet succeed,

The theme of today’s International Day of the Girl is “Freedom Online on how misinformation and disinformation online affects girls’ lives, learning and leadership”.

Activities for the two days include speeches from the invited guests of honours, cultural performances and sports.

Hundreds of mostly young girls took part in the day’s activities and more is expected in today’s sporting and cultural activities.

Activities to mark International Day of the Girl will end this afternoon.

We must seal the fisheries deal: Falemaka

Written by
Ben Bilua
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BY BEN BILUA

Gizo

Trade talks aimed at creating rules to stop countries providing harmful subsidies to their fishing fleets are reaching a climax with much at stake for Solomon Islands and the Pacific.

Mere Falemaka, the Geneva-based Pacific Ambassador to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has spent the last 8 years of her life working for a good outcome for Pacific nations in these talks.

She says the negotiations must be sealed during the WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12) that will be held next month.

“What is clear from members, we don’t want to negotiate for another 20 years, and we have the opportunity now to close the deal. Let’s try and do it,” she said.

Subsidies – especially those by large industrial fishing nations – have contributed to many of the world’s fisheries being overfished and to too many fishing boats trying to catch the fish that are left. They have also contributed to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU).

Tuna stocks in the Pacific are still healthy but as fisheries elsewhere decline more boats from around the world – including many receiving lucrative subsidies – are wanting to fish here.

“Our leaders have clearly said that we need to put in place the prohibitions for harmful fisheries subsidies,” Falemaka said.

“We are coming from the point of view that yes, you (foreign fishing boats) can access but …should not be subsidised …(to) deplete our stock.

The Pacific has much to gain from an end to harmful subsides, but, as Falemaka acknowledges there are also risks in the negotiations, including:

  • that existing subsidies paid by Pacific governments to help small fishers – such as subsidies for fuel subsidies, fishing gear or ice plants – might become illegal.
  • that fewer foreign boats will want to fish in the Pacific leaving cash-strapped economies without their usual stream of access fee payments.
  • that rules to stop overcapacity (too many boats) will prevent the Pacific developing its own fishing industry. At the moment 44% of the world’s tuna is caught in the Pacific but Oceania (Pacific, Australia and New Zealand) accounts for just 0.3% of global fishing vessels

Members of the WTO have insisted that the agreement be a ‘comprehensive’ agreement meaning there must be consensus on all aspects before the final documents can be approved.

That makes it a high stakes deal.

Falemaka says negotiations will be tough, as they will depend on the political will particularly from the heavyweights.

To ensure the final agreement is tune with Pacific needs, Falemaka says Pacific nations will insist it must:

•Prohibit harmful fishing subsidies to overcapacity and overfishing (OCOF) and IUU fishing; and to provide appropriate and effective special and differential treatment (SDT) for developing countries.

•Preserve access fees/licensing, from the scope of the agreement

•Exempt artisanal small-scale fishing from the Agreement for food security and livelihood reasons

•Provide policy space for small fishing nations and SIDs, to develop their fisheries in future including developing fishing capacity and

•Ensure that rights of the FICs under other international agreements are not undermined e.g sovereign rights to their 200 mile EEZ under UNCLOs. This should ensure they retain their rights to determine IUU fishing, to determine stock assessment, and the right to grant fishing access.

Falemaka says the Pacific group has been very vocal and constructive and has been working with many other developing and small island nations to put a strong case.

Time is running out. The WTO has set a deadline of 29 October for a final text of the Agreement.

This is to allow time for ministerial consideration before MC12, which takes place 20th November to 3 December 2021.

SI lack capacity to treat covid-19 outbreak: Ghabu

Written by
Mavis Podokolo
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The National Referral Hospital (NRH) in Honiara

BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO

SOLOMON Islands does not have the capacity to handle a covid-19 outbreak in the country if there should be any, says Dr Jones Ghabu.

Ghabu, senior consultant physician at the National Referral Hospital and head of internal medicine department, said this yesterday

“As someone working in the hospital and is treating people daily we do not have the capacity to treat outbreak in the country.

“This is the very reason why I appeal to you all to please; we must prevent COVID-19 entering the country and prevent community transmission to happen,” he said.

“If we cannot prevent it and COVID-19 came into the country either I watch you dead or you watch me dead that is the truth about our current situation.”

He on the same note calls for all to continue following strategies put in place by the Ministry of Health Medical Services.

Top cop summoned before Chief Justice

Written by
Jennifer Kusapa
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The High Court of Solomon Islands. Photo by SIBC.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

The officer in charge of the Henderson Police station has been summoned to the High Court.

This is so that the officer can explain to the Courts why summons to witnesses were not served when ample time was given to the police to serve them.

Chief Justice Sir Albert Palmer made the orders yesterday after prosecution informed court that the trial will not be possible due to summons not being served to witnesses; hence prosecution sought an adjournment.

Deputy Director of Public Prosecution Andrew Kelesi told court their witness liaison officer had sent the summons for the witnesses three weeks ago to the Henderson Police; as they are the ones to serve the summons on the witnesses who will testify during trial.

This is in regards to the case involving the death of a man at Henderson on dates between July 6 and 7 in 2019, East Honiara opposite the Solomon Star area.

The trial was supposed to commence yesterday before Sir Albert, however, the trial did not proceed because prosecution witnesses were not available.  

Kelesi said last week when they made a follow-up on the summons with the Henderson police to confirm if the summons were served, they were being told that the summons were lost, but later on, when another officer went to one of the rooms at the police station, the officer found that the summons were there and were never served to the witnesses.

“This is not the first time they encounter issues like this with the Henderson police. There were some occasions that Prosecution has to reprint the summons and send them back to Henderson police either because they could not be located or lost,” Kelesi told court yesterday.

Prosecution was anticipating that all witnesses would be ready as enough time was given to them to serve the summons.

New vehicle for Road Transport Board

Written by
Jennifer Kusapa
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Stephen Maesiola Chair of the Road Transport Board received vehicle key from Minister for MID Manasseh Maelanga.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

The Road Transport Board (RTB) has a new vehicle to help them in their awareness programmes.

Deputy prime minister and minister of infrastructure development Manasseh Maelanga handed over the brand new hilux to the RTB chair, MID PS Steven Maesiola yesterday.

Mr Maesiola said the vehicle will assist the Board in doing awareness to the suburbs regarding the road rules.

He said the Road Transport Act (RTA) is an act of Parliament established in 2009 and in 2019 the RTB established.

He said the Board implements the functions of the 2009 RTA.

He said the Board will look after the road rules and putting up of road signs to improve the traffic jam experienced in Honiara today.

He said they will go to the communities to do awareness on illegal humps, illegal parking and so on.

Maesiola said they will start the awareness as soon as possible.

“The Board consists of representatives from the Police, Government, SICCI, Taxi association, Bus association and the PS MID as the Chair,” Maesiola said.

He said they are also looking at how best to address traffic flow and one of the Board’s intentions is to return the Mataniko river bank so that they can use that area for bus bay, because in the future HCC bus-bay and the Market bus-bay will be closed.

“We are slowly getting momentum, as we cannot just see things happening overnight as we depend on funds and resources to do the job,” Maesiola said.

Therefore, he urged the public to cooperate with them once they implement their plans in order to improve traffic problem in Honiara.

One Link director gets 2 years

Written by
Jennifer Kusapa
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BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THE Director and sole trader of the One Link Pacifica money scheme has been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment by the Magistrate’s court.

This is the case of Charles Dora who pleaded guilty to one count of Unlicensed Financial Institution contrary to section 3(2) (a) of the Financial Institution Act 1998 (“FIA 1998”)against him.

Mr Dora was guilty for obtaining money from individual investors on separate occasions within a nine-month period in 2019 ranging from $250 to $95,750. Furthermore, the total sum of monies which were deceitfully obtained by the accused from the people who invested in the scheme within the said period totaled up to $56,440,475 which is a very significant amount to get from the ordinary and struggling people who invested their monies.

The court also heard that more than 90 percent of the total amount has not been recovered to date except for the $121,791.20 which was recovered from the defendant.

Principal Magistrate Felix Hollison in his sentencing yesterday highlighted that it is obviously clear that the defendant carefully planned to operate the scheme to defraud people by collecting monies and promising them with higher returns or profits within a certain period. He registered a business name to make it look reputable and authentic to the members of the public.

He said the circumstances of this case confirmed that the defendant fraudulently and unfairly obtained monies from the participants or members of the scheme under the guise of investment for the purposes of earning a higher financial reward. This turned out to be an outright deception

The defendant had taken advantage of the financial situation in the country to deceive and fraudulently fool people to part with their monies, exacerbated by the cargo-cult mentality normally promoted and perpetuated by the “quick get rich money schemes”, Hollison said.

He also said the present case is a regulatory offence where a legal entity (financial institution) can only operate a banking business if it has met all the legal prerequisites and has been issued with the relevant license in accordance with section 5 of the FIA 1998 Act, b y the rightful authority which in this case, the Central Bank of Solomon Islands.

“The cumulative total amount of more than SBD 56 million amassed by OLP is by any standard very large and for someone to have operated such a banking business illegally for 9 months is shocking and unacceptable. The proactive awareness and warnings issued by the CBSI as the regulatory body are commendable, and apart from obviously complying with section 3 (3) of the FIA 1998, it could have taken swift legal action and commenced civil proceedings in the High Court for injunctive orders against the defendant in his capacity as the sole proprietor and trader of OLP and his associates to halt the illegal operations. This would have militated against the financial losses that the members of the scheme now suffered. However, this is only a subsidiary issue that can be reserved for another day.

“I take judicial notice of the pyramid selling schemes apart from OLP which are reportedly increasing in the country and I warn the people who are promoting such schemes to stop misleading and victimizing the ordinary people. This case perfectly exemplifies the punishment that one can receive if he or she commits this offence and, in that regard, the supplementary submissions by the defence counsel this morning is acknowledged.

“The legislature may wish to consider whether or not the maximum penalty prescribed under section 3(6) of the FIA 1998 should be reviewed as it currently attracts only three years imprisonment as a maximum penalty.Some of the pertinent factors, amongst others, that can be considered for the purposes of law reform are deterrence, the amount of money involved in such crimes as manifested in this case and to keep abreast with the country’s ever-changing economic situation influenced by the rapid advances in technology coupled with the globalization of the financial services industry,” Hollison said.

Therefore, Magistrate Hollison taking into account the sentencing principles such as punishment, deterrence and rehabilitation, sentence the defendant Dora to 24 months imprisonment, and also made further orders that the period spent in custody is to be deducted from the total sentence.

Vernon Taupongi of the Office of the Director Public Prosecution appears for the crown while Deputy Public Solicitor Martha Manaka of the Public Solicitors Office represents the defendant.

Court Circuits to go ahead with support from Australia

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Magistrates’ Court circuits to the provinces will now go ahead for the rest of this year after the Australian Government agreed to make up the funding shortfall which last month forced the cancellation of the remainder of the 2021 court circuit calendar.

This will enable the Magistrates’ Court to provide access to justice for populations in 15 locations across the country that otherwise would not have been able to have their matters progressed by the courts this year.

Announcing the reinstated court circuit calendar, Chief Magistrate Emma Garo said that the Magistrates’ Court was committed to providing services to all Solomon Islanders especially people in rural communities.

“The main way we achieve this is by regular and reliable court sittings in 36 provincial circuit locations across the country,” she said. 

While the court had completed more than half of the scheduled circuits for the year, disposing of more than 250 cases, it became apparent last month that there would not be enough funds to complete all outstanding circuits.

“It was at this point that Ï reluctantly announced that circuits for locations in a number of provinces would be cancelled.

“However, as a long-standing supporter of the Solomon Islands justice sector, the Australian Government then agreed to assist us,” Ms Garo said.

Under the funding arrangement the Magistrates’ Court will receive an allocation of around $460,000 through Australia’s Solomon Islands Justice Program.

This will enable the court to conduct an additional 14 weeks of circuit sittings this year as well as Customary Land Appeal Court sittings in four provinces which had also been affected by the funding shortfall. 

“We are very grateful to our Australian partners for their ongoing support to the justice sector. 

“The Magistrates Courts’ aspirations that the formal legal system reach all citizens regardless of where they live have been greatly assisted by the timely provision of this funding,” Ms Garo said.

Education reform must be built upon best practice: PM.

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PM Sogavare, Education Minister Lanelle Tanangada with staff of St Joseph's school

REFORMS of our education system must be built upon best practice which includes the current education legislative framework.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in his St Joseph’s National Catholic School, 75th Anniversary Speech said; “we must be cognisant of the rapid social changes that our country is facing, especially with the onset and rise of social media platforms.”

He said the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development’s 2016 – 2030 Education Strategic Framework (ESF) recognises that education has a key role to play in the overall achievement of all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and connects education with other SDGs and targets and has set goals, objectives and outcomes that we thrive to achieve.

Sogavare said the newly developed National Education Action Plan (NEAP) for the 2021-2025 period translates the objectives of the ESF into a plan for implementation across the entire education sector.

He said it covers Early Childhood Education, Primary Preparation Year, Primary Education, Secondary Education, Skills Development and Tertiary Education, focusing on three strategic goals: (i) improving access, (ii) improving quality and learning outcomes, and (iii) improving management of education services.

“One of the key reforms that my Government through the Ministry of Education is undertaking under the new NEAP is to improve access especially at senior secondary education level – that is, at form 4, 5 and 6 levels,” he said.

He said we are striving to increase enrolments of our students at the senior secondary education levels, as there is an increasing demand for senior secondary education in the country than ever before.

Sogavare said MEHRD also has plans to increase the participation of both boys and girls at senior secondary level, in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects and in vocations where educational achievements do not necessarily translate to labour force participation.

He said one of the priorities of the NEAP 2021-2025 is to increase number of learners complete 13 years of education (from primary to senior secondary level). 

The expected results include;

“The MEHRD has the ambition to substantially expand secondary education, skills development, and tertiary education to foster life-long learners who are able to adapt to the rapidly changing national and global environment,” he said.

–OPMC PRESS

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