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East Are’Are conservation rangers get skills

Written by
Samie Waikori
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Participants attended the recent rangers training facilitated by Albert Kwatelae at Ahetaha in Manawai, East Are’Are.

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

AUKI

AHETAHA Water Conservation Association (AWCA) with Solomon Islands Rangers Association have held a two-day rangers training for conservation groups within Aiaisi ward 19 in East Are’Are, Malaita province.

The training was held at Ahetaha training centre in Manawai from March 24-25, 2021 as part of AWCA’s activity under its UNDP/GEF funding support.

In a statement from General Secretary of Solomon Islands Rangers Association and AWCA Coordinator, Mr Eddie Huitarau, he said the training was facilitated by president of Solomon Islands Rangers Association, Mr Albert Kwatelae and attended by 25 participants (six females) from five sister conservation groups namely; Ahetaha, Lausia, Roreaita, Tookina and Su’upa’ura.

He said the training is a series of capacity building course and rangers are required to complete four units. However, Huitarau said only three units were covered due to time limitation. They expect to complete the remaining unit in the next phase.

Conservation groups are now aware of their responsibilities and how to execute duties within their conservation areas and develop other conservation works.

Facilitator, Mr Albert Kwatelae said the training is important for communities since many conservation initiatives have been established by multiple communities, tribal groups, and individual communities.

“This means number of community-based rangers and champions are accumulating which demand need for specific skills and knowledge to carry out tasks in the conservation sites.

“This is the gap, the rangers association is connecting by building capacities among men and women in the communities and part of the conservation groups and those who are member to rangers’ association.

“These can enhance and support their daily work and help make right and effective management decisions,” he said.

Huitarau said this is the reason AWCA took the initiative in partnership with Solomon Islands Rangers Association, NGOs and specialists to carry out capacity buildings for rangers (both men and women) in Ahetaha Conservation Area.

He said during the two days training participants went through theory lectures, group activities and activities like field survey and practical applications of things they learnt.

Adding that participants were taught on the standard way (as used in other conservation sites in the country) to do survey and monitoring on coral reefs and mangrove forest as the major hands-on activities.

“In fact, these hands-on sessions encourage rangers, and champions to interact and build confident in the technical areas of rangers training,” he said.

Huitarau said during field activities conducted on the coral reef and mangrove surveys in AWCA, three ranger groups engaged in the activity as part of the rangers’ hands on and practical application of the processes and methods they learned.

He said participants had done a transact each to survey the site as they count and identify mangrove species along the 50mx 2m transact in Ahetaha Mangrove forest.

Saying this is a simple method to monitor mangroves and understand their growth patterns and how they protect the coastal areas.

Huitarau said participants included rangers, stewards and champions had benefited a lot from the training.

Auki vendors to teach waste management to communities

Written by
Samie Waikori
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Reps from AMVA, Kilu'ufi health promotion team, MPG Waste Management office and other stakeholders that are leading the waste management campaign in Auki.

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

AUKI

AUKI Market Vendors Association (AMVA) will work with communities in and around Auki on phase II of their waste management advocacy campaign.

Coordinator of the Waste Management campaign under AMVA, Mr Joel Reverly told this paper saying the programme is already rolling after its launching on March 24, 2021.

He explained yesterday that phase-I of the campaign was focused in Auki market where market vendors were provided with a waste management advocacy programme.

Adding that in complimenting the campaign, AMVA, Malaita government and other stakeholders supported Auki Central Market with wheeler bins which are currently use in the market.

Reverly said after phase-I, focus is on community ensuring the issue of waste management is taught to people in the communities.

He said AMVA believed that if the issue of waste management is properly disseminated right down to communities, it will have great impacts on waste management in communities and urban centres.

Revelry said the campaign is proposed for Wednesday every week; last week the programme reached Kokomu community near Auki town.

He said other communities will also benefit from the campaign – Ngaisagore, Fasitoro, Sikitae and Lilisiana.

Reverly said AMVA invited and partnered with responsible stakeholders Waste Management office under MPG, Kilu’ufi Health promotion team and other partners on the programme.

He said areas covered in the awareness programme are on 3Rs-Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, common diseases associating unhealthy environment, misunderstanding of wastes and others.

Reverly said so far MPG and Kilu’ufi hospital are very supportive of the programme and AMVA hope for further partnership to reach and inject the concept of waste management into people.

He said although challenges are face on the programme like proper landfill for Auki town, AMVA will continue to partner with responsible stakeholders on waste management campaign in Auki.

Reverly thanked PPAC under SPC for funding AMVA with the current waste management advocacy campaign.

Vaccine roll-out to continue

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Admin
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Staff-of-National-Public-Health-Laboratory-with-the-V-sign-indicating-their-done-with-first-Covid-19-vaccine-jab

THE COVID-19 vaccine roll out will continue despite latest reports of the negative health impacts of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

New findings from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) safety committee and the WHO Global Advisory Committee for Vaccine Safety (GACVS) stated there exists possible link of AstraZeneca vaccine to blood clots and low blood platelets.

In the wake of this report, the Solomon Islands COVID-19 vaccine Technical Working Group (TWG) had held an urgent meeting to review the report together with other relevant available data.

Following the meeting, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) says the roll out of the AstraZeneca vaccine will continue.

The ministry said the decision has been reached based on the following considerations:

“Firstly, a causal relationship between the vaccine and the occurrence of blood clots with low platelets is considered plausible but is not confirmed.

“EMA concluded that unusual blood clots with low blood platelets should be listed as very rare side effect of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca although causality has not been proven and that EMA has not changed its recommendation for the use of the vaccine.

“Secondly, the report does not advise pausing or stopping the roll out of the AstraZeneca vaccine, rather for health care professionals and people receiving the vaccine to remain aware of the possibility of very rare cases of blood clots combined with low levels of blood platelets occurring within 4 to 20 days of vaccination.

“Additionally that disproportionately cases reported have occurred in women under 60 years of age within 2 weeks of vaccination.

“Thirdly and again as highlighted by the report, that COVID-19 is associated with a risk of hospitalization and death.

“The reported combination of blood clots and low blood platelets is very rare and the overall benefits of the vaccines in preventing COVID-19 far outweighs the risks of side effects.

“The vaccine technical working group had also assessed and discussed the report from the Australian National Centre for Immunization Research and Surveillance.

“The report showed estimated number of clotting disorders that potentially might occur in the Pacific Island Countries if all adults received the AstraZeneca vaccine, based on estimated adult population in each country and the incidence of these events in Europe and Australia.

“In the case of Solomon Islands if all adult population are vaccinated, there is a very rare chance that the blood clot disorder might occur, and estimated that possibly only 1 or 2 cases might occur in adults against the entire adult population.

“Thus, it is extremely unlikely for the blood clot side effect to occur even if all adult population in Solomon Islands received the AstraZeneca vaccine dose.

“Globally only 86 including 18 fatalities have been documented from almost 200 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine administered and this demonstrates there is a very rare association with blood clot combined with low platelets. 

“India, manufacturer and supplier of the AstraZeneca vaccine, continues to roll out the vaccine as authorities upon reviewing available data found that there is nothing to suggest a causal relationship between vaccine and blood clots.

“About 115 countries using the AstraZeneca vaccines globally only a handful have made some modifications with the vast majority continuing with normal vaccination in line with WHO recommendations.

“Nevertheless, the Ministry of Health is taking recommendations from the EMA and GACVS very seriously and thus will move to include in public messaging, updating of information sheet for doctors and people coming to receive immunization, conduct trainings for staff based on these updated information and ensure appropriate management protocols for such adverse events are in place.

“An independent committee for Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) Committee comprising of health experts and clinicians who are not part of the vaccine roll out is being put together.

“Their primary task will be to review all AEFI cases and to make recommendations and advice to the Ministry of Health regarding the administration and roll out of the COVID-19 vaccines in Solomon Islands with respect to documenting and managing AEFI cases.

“Ministry will continue to provide further updates in this regard and monitor the situation closely.

“With this, the Ministry would like to encourage the public to come forward when your turn comes for vaccination as the benefit of all of us getting vaccinated far outweighs the possible risks, thus let all work together against this COVID-19 global pandemic.

“Public are also urge to not rely on information from unreliable and non-reputable sources as they can be misleading with the potential of jeopardizing the good work of vaccine roll out that is underway which is critical for the protection of the country from COVID-19.”

SICCI wants local content in big infrastructure spend

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Press Release
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PM Sogavare at the site of the newly built SINS complex

THE Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) encourages the Government and relevant authorities to ensure there is sufficient local content included in the billion-dollar worth of infrastructure projects that are planned for the next five years to enable the economic benefit to remain inside Solomon Islands.

SICCI Chairman Ricky Fuo’o highlighted this when SICCI representatives appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) recently during the inquiries into the 2021 Appropriation Bill 2021.

Considering the number of foreigners currently competing across certain industries in Solomon Islands, one of the things SICCI is advocating on is for Government to focus on local content.

“That is to formulate some form of threshold, where certain number of contracts are reserved for indigenous businesses and individuals. This can be done not only for the construction industry but also for suppliers and across all industries,” Mr. Fuo’o, said.

The SICCI Chair said this is purposely to protect our local industries, businesses and local jobs.

“For most indigenous businesses and existing businesses, all the money we make and spend stays in the country. If we continue to promote local content and protect local businesses that would have a big impact on economic growth as well,” he told members of the PAC.

“Local competition is growing and international competitions are coming in but there is no form of protection for local industries and indigenous business owners,” he added.

Solomon Islands has a large pipeline of infrastructure projects that is about to be spent into our economy which the Chamber considers as being a key factor in the country’s economic recovery.

“One other thing we have been advocating for on a lot of these large international contracts is to see local content built into it.

“So that a certain percent of that work is down streamed to local contractors, local suppliers and local businesses.

“While we have these big expenditures of infrastructure, there is that spill over effect into the local economy, to ensure we are not just by-standers when a lot of these infrastructure are getting built and delivered,” Mr. Fuo’o said.

SICCI also understands that there are currently around SBD7.5 billion worth of infrastructure projects that are either underway or tabled for the next four (4) to five (5) years.

Some of the timeframes may have been extended due to the economic and logistical challenges brought on by COVID-19 on these projects including Solomon Water Capital Works (SBD 760M), Tina River Hydropower (SBD 1.95bn), ADB Ports and Road program (SBD 1.115bn), Kukum Highway Phase II (SBD 256M), World Bank Roads and Aviation Project (SBD 451M).

There are also the bilateral agreements with Development partners such as the sport stadium and construction work proposed for the 2023 Pacific Games which total to an approximate SBD2.5bn.

–SICCI Media

EDITORIAL- Let’s not repeat the mistakes of logging

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Admin
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GOVERNMENT last year came up with a policy to fast-track three mining operations for the country.

This was devised with the intention to generate much-needed revenue for the Government in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The mining operations were earmarked to take place in Isabel, Choiseul and Renbel.

All three mining companies, who were also loggers, have been issued prospecting licences. They are now waiting for their mining leases.

But while the Government is moving into mining, we must be careful not to repeat the mistakes of the logging industry.

Opposition leader Mathew Wale made a good suggestion on how the Government should play in the emerging mining industry.

One of those suggestions is the establishment of a State Owned Enterprise (SOE) that would invest in the mining sector.

Such an SOE, according to Wale, could hold shares in other mining companies and may self-form wholly owned mining companies.

He said the SOE would ensure that ethical behavior and practices are followed by companies and transfer pricing is eliminated.

“The SOE would also be a platform for share interests for landowners of locations where various operations occur.

“Such an SOE would be linked to a Sovereign Wealth Fund or Future Fund, into which all mineral revenue should go to be invested for the benefit of future generations of Solomon Islanders.

“The SOE can acquire the technical capacity and funding it needs.”

What Wale was suggesting is not only genuine, but the way forward for the country if it is to be in control and benefit from the mining industry.

The logging industry should provide us with enough lessons already.

Although it contributed to 70 per cent of our foreign earnings, it did very little to improve the livelihood of our people.

Furthermore, it was an industry largely driven by foreigners. Our people, who are the forest owners, were mere by-standers.

This is why our people were left high and dry at the end of every logging operation on their land.

Now, we see that some of these loggers are migrating to mining.

Unless we set a new operations manual in the mining industry, these same loggers will come in and continue the same standard of practice they’ve been used to in the logging industry.

We don’t want the mining industry to be another get-rich quick scheme for foreigners.

As a country and people, we must be in charge of the industry. We should be the ones calling the shots and set the operating standards.

Red Cross helps affected families

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Press Release
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Red Cross logistics person Philip Surukwanga making sure items are set to be provided to the affected families.

SOLOMON Islands Red Cross Society has stepped in to assist families of an incident in Tuebala village in Guadalcanal Plains during last weekend.

This involves the Red Cross providing tarpaulins, shelter kits, hygiene kits, blankets, buckets and drinking containers to the families.

The incident occurred on Easter Monday which saw 58 families leave their homes to seek safety at Gorou Catholic Church Hall, following an intrusion into their settlement by people of a nearby village and torching homes and destroy fruit trees.

Speaking in relation to the incident, a village elder Bernard Chonigolo reflects on the effects of the incident and what they did.

“It was on Easter Monday; many of us has just woken up and preparing breakfast and go out for work,” Chonigolo said.

“We were taken by surprise when men of the other village began shouting in the bushes and coming towards us,” he added.

“We can sense that they are angry and are going to cause trouble. Many of us fled for our lives with only the clothes we wore.

“We were left with nothing and that we do not know where we could get assistance from.

“Luckily one of our females thought to try and seek help from anywhere possible, reaching Red Cross office and making a report on what has happened to us.

“It was sad situation for us as we have been living here for the past 16 years.”

Likewise, the affected families are now provided with shelter at the Gorou Catholic Church Hall, where Catholic Parish leaders there have been kind in taking them in for the moment.

“We are so thankful to the Catholic Church leaders here at Gorou for kindly accepting us and providing shelter for us here.

“It would have been very difficult for us if we were not being able to find anywhere to shelter just after the incident.

“We are also grateful to the Red Cross for stepping in to relief our situation too,” Chonigolo further stated.

—RED CROSS

YES, BUT …

Written by
Alfred Pagepitu
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0
Dr Alex Munamua with the AstraZeneca vaccine that arrived last month/

Government reacts to ‘blood clot and AstraZeneca’ findings by continuing vaccination rollout

BY ALFRED PAGEPITU

Government will continue with its AstraZeneca vaccination rollout programme despite a recent finding linking the vaccine with blood clots.

On Thursday last week, the European Medicine Agency (EMA), a medical arm of the EU, published in its website that “unusual blood clots with low blood platelets should be listed as very rare side effects of Vaxzevria (formerly COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca)”.

Having said this, EMA also echoes the usual advice that vaccinations must continue since the “overall benefits of the vaccine in preventing covid-19 outweigh the risks of side effects”.

While many countries have reacted to this EMA finding by altering their AstraZeneca vaccination programmes, Solomon Islands has chosen to trudge on.

In the UK under-30s are being offered alternative jabs to AstraZeneca, Australia is applying alternative jabs for under-50s, similarly France and Belgium are offering alternative jabs for under-55s even those who have taken their first AstraZeneca shot, Italy and Spain have restricted AstraZeneca dosage to over-60s.

Sadly, Solomon Islands does not have any alternative available. Last night’s newly arrived Sinopharm, according to government, will be stored until given the greenlight by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for use.

Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services (MHMS) Pauline McNeil, in a talkback show yesterday said that “the report does not say, however that will stop the roll out of the vaccine, but for the health workers and technical expects to be aware of these linkages”.

Mrs McNeil said the Ministry of health has technical working group (TWG) which reviews such issues, so the decision of TWG last week, they decided that the roll of the AstraZeneca vaccines will continue to be implemented and rolled out.

“This because the benefits outweigh the risk of the vaccination, so the decision of the ministry through the technical working group is to continue the roll out of the vaccine,” she said.

Dr Yogesh Choudri, technical advisor to the ministry of health, reinforces this, saying the EMA findings did not confirm AstraZeneca as a cause for the blood clots.

“Having a blood clot disorder is not uncommon with other vaccines we have seen with Moderna and Pfizer covid-19 vaccine, but this typical presentation that we have seen is reported because it’s quite possible that we are diagnosing it more that this has been reported. However there is a possible link issued but that is not a possible cause.”

He said the health ministry’s technical group continues to closely monitor the situation and work closely with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other authorities.

AstraZeneca is the only WHO-approved vaccine available for Solomon Islands, with a current 24-000 dose roll-out being piloted.

Rollout was launched on April 24 with quite a number of leaders, including prime minister Manasseh Sogavare taking jabs to show confidence in the vaccine. However, on the overall, this show failed to convince many.

Three days into the rollout programme and government was forced to admit that the turnout for the first phase, which involved 7,000 doses to be administered in Honiara, was very low – the number just shy of 600.

A hard directive from PM Sogavare the following week, coupled with a threat from the Attorney General for frontliners to resign if they refused the jab, seemed to do the trick.

The numbers of frontliners turning up for jab jumped.

This has brought the numbers of the inoculated to 3,044, according to PS McNeil, in her talkback show remarks yesterday. But, still, this figure remains below the halfway mark with rollout entering its fourth week.

Solomon Islands recently received 24,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from the WHO-led COVAX scheme. Seven thousand of this was allocated to the first phase, which involved jabbing frontliners in Honiara.

Second phase, which gets the bulk (17,000 doses), would be implemented in the border communities following the Honiara piloting.

So far, according to McNeil, border communities are embracing the idea of getting vaccinated in support of the government’s drive against covid-19.

A huge awareness programme is currently on in the border communities.

Border communities include Shortland Islands, Malaita Outer Islands and parts of Choiseul province. These regions have been classified as high risk due to their proximity to the border with PNG, our covid-stricken neighbour.

Blood clots ‘very rare side effect’ to Astra vaccine: EU drug regulator

Written by
Alfred Pagepitu
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0

BY ALFRED PAGEPITU & IRWIN ANGIKI

Blood clots have been concluded by European medicine regulators to be a “very rare side effect” of the AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine. However, they urge vaccination to continue.

AstraZeneca is the only WHO-approved vaccine available for Solomon Islands, with a current 24-000 dose roll-out being piloted. Ministry of Health has not responded to Island Sun’s enquiry for comments.

The European Medicine Agency (EMA), a medical arm of the EU, published in its website on Thursday last week that “unusual blood clots with low blood platelets should be listed as very rare side effects of Vaxzevria (formerly COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca)”.

Having said this, EMA echoes the usual advice that vaccinations must continue since the “overall benefits of the vaccine in preventing covid-19 outweigh the risks of side effects”.

“EMA is reminding healthcare professionals and people receiving the vaccine to remain aware of the possibility of very rare cases of blood clots combined with low levels of blood platelets occurring within 2 weeks of vaccination. So far, most of the cases reported have occurred in women under 60 years of age within 2 weeks of vaccination. Based on the currently available evidence, specific risk factors have not been confirmed.”

EMA notes that “the blood clots occurred in veins in the brain (cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, CVST) and the abdomen (splanchnic vein thrombosis) and in arteries, together with low levels of blood platelets and sometimes bleeding.

“[EMA] carried out an in-depth review of 62 cases of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis and 24 cases of splanchnic vein thrombosis reported in the EU drug safety database (EudraVigilance) as of 22 March 2021, 18 of which were fatal. The cases came mainly from spontaneous reporting systems of the EEA and the UK, where around 25 million people had received the vaccine.

“COVID-19 is associated with a risk of hospitalisation and death. The reported combination of blood clots and low blood platelets is very rare, and the overall benefits of the vaccine in preventing COVID-19 outweigh the risks of side effects.

“EMA’s scientific assessment underpins the safe and effective use of COVID-19 vaccines. Use of the vaccine during vaccination campaigns at national level will also take into account the pandemic situation and vaccine availability in the individual Member State.

“One plausible explanation for the combination of blood clots and low blood platelets is an immune response, leading to a condition similar to one seen sometimes in patients treated with heparin (heparin induced thrombocytopenia, HIT).” Said EMA in its website on April 7.

While governments around the world are responding to this EMA finding by altering their AstraZeneca vaccination programmes, Solomon Islands government has chosen to continue with its above-18 years old AstraZeneca jab programme. [See separate article]

In the UK under-30s are being offered alternative jabs to AstraZeneca, Australia is applying alternative jabs for under-50s, similarly France and Belgium are offering alternative jabs for under-55s even those who have taken their first AstraZeneca shot, Italy and Spain have restricted AstraZeneca dosage to over-60s.

However, a spin to these varying policies as experts have cautioned is that “the confusing messages about the vaccine could still dampen enthusiasm for it at a time when Europe and many other parts of the world are facing surging cases”.

According to the Paris-based AFP news agency, AstraZeneca is administered in more countries than its other WHO-approved counterparts (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna); 111 countries. BBC reports that AstraZeneca makes for 90 percent of the vaccines dished out by COVAX, the WHO-led scheme designed to ensure poor countries, including Solomon Islands, access covid-19 vaccines in time.

AstraZeneca company has come out welcoming the EMA finding that the blood clot cases “have a possible link to the vaccine … as an extremely rare potential side effect”.

The company adds that it is working on improving its product:

“Overall, both of these reviews reaffirmed the vaccine offers a high-level of protection against all severities of COVID-19 and that these benefits continue to far outweigh the risks.

“AstraZeneca has been actively collaborating with the regulators to implement these changes to the product information and is already working to understand the individual cases, epidemiology and possible mechanisms that could explain these extremely rare events.

“In addition, the World Health Organisation (WHO) today [April 7] said that, based on current information, a causal relationship is considered plausible but is not confirmed, adding that further specialised studies are needed to fully understand the potential relationship between vaccination and possible risk factors.” [AstraZeneca website, April 7]

Meanwhile, WHO is not budging from its support of the vaccine, reiterating the need for vaccination to continue in spite.

Responding to the EMA finding on April 7, WHO in its website announced:

“Based on current information, a causal relationship between the vaccine and the occurrence of blood clots with low platelets is considered plausible but is not confirmed. Specialised studies are needed to fully understand the potential relationship between vaccination and possible risk factors.

“The GACVS subcommittee will continue to gather and review further data, as it has done since the beginning of the COVID vaccine programme.

“It is important to note that whilst concerning, the events under assessment are very rare, with low numbers reported among the almost 200 million individuals who have received the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine around the world.

“Rare adverse events following immunizations should be assessed against the risk of deaths from COVID-19 disease and the potential of the vaccines to prevent infections and reduce deaths due to diseases. In this context, it should be noted that as of today, at least 2.86 million people have died of COVID-19 disease worldwide.”

For Solomon Islands, the EMA finding may not mean much, now, since AstraZeneca is the only WHO-approved vaccine available. The recently arrived Sinopharm, government says, will not be used but stored until such a time it is given the greenlight by WHO.

However, the EMA finding may not be helpful to a government facing a skeptical population (including its frontliners) with an AstraZeneca vaccination drive plan. High low-turnout to the country’s vaccination programme indicates the populace’s hesitancy towards the vaccine. Today, three weeks from launch and the programme is still to reach halfway in its 7,000-dosage planned for Honiara (first phase of rollout).

Leaders can only bank on public seeing the benefits of taking the jab in relation to the risks of not taking it. More so, understand the very low chances of getting one of the rare side effects.

As one UK covid-19 expert said to the BBC, quoted in an April-9 article, hammering home on the rarity of the blood clot: “I mean it’s the equivalent of the risk of dying in the bath, drowning in the bath, for example, it’s that rare, or a plane landing on your house.”

‘Can the ministries do it in 8 months?’

Written by
Eddie Osifelo
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By EDDIE OSIFELO

OPPOSITION Leader, Matthew Wale has questioned the capacity of all government ministries to implement the $4 billion budget in the remaining eight months.

Delivering his budget speech in Parliament last Friday, Wale said all ministries are confident in their capacity to implement their budgets.

“However, it is important to note the historic low execution rates recorded by some ministries and see if this is due to capacity constraints and whether any such constraints have been addressed,” he said.

Wale reflected on agriculture from 2016 to 2020 which had an average execution rate for recurrent expenditure is 65%, and Development budget is 35%.

“And in 2019 and 2020, Ministry of Agriculture recorded the highest number of virements (totalling 3.6m in 2019 & 4.4m in 2020).

“A look at the virements is a reflection of the robustness of the budgeting process and budget execution capacity.” he said.

Wale said Forestry – 2016-2020: average execution rate: Recurrent 68%; Development:32%; Virements are also an issue.

He said Fisheries – 2016-2020: Budget execution rates, Recurrent 67%, Development 33%; Virements are heading in the wrong direction.

Wale said the historical evidence is clear that government’s budget implementation is a very real challenge.

“Of course, there are any number of issues that may contribute to this problem.

“Government’s announced reduction of the size of the public service must take this serious matter into consideration, to ensure an already weak budget execution capacity is not further eroded,” he said.

“Have the constraints to budget execution been addressed? This is not clear from the budget documents themselves.

“However, the ministries, by and large, have confirmed there has been no real change to their capacities to implement the budget,” he said.

Wale said in light of this, therefore, it is not unreasonable to conclude that “we are to expect similar budget execution rates in 2021 or perhaps even worse, and given only another eight months remaining for this budget, we are to expect that some budget outcomes may not be delivered as stated.”

Debate on the budget continues today.            

Gov’t slammed for no funds to address gender violence

Written by
Alfred Pagepitu
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BY ALFRED PAGEPITU

Leader of the Opposition, Matthew Wale has slammed DCGA government for not allocating enough fund in the 2021 Budget to address gender-based violence which he says has increased sharply.

Wale when debating on the on the 2021 Appropriation Bill on Friday said the government clearly does not take seriously the scourge of domestic and gender-based violence in our society beyond the rhetoric.

“If it did, the size of allocations would show it,” Wale said.

“We are not unlike any other country in the world in this matter unfortunately.

“Gender based violence has increased sharply in recent times, at least by 15 percent where records are kept, and we don’t even have a proper recording system for this problem,” Wale said.

Wale said the need for refuge or safe houses in each province is both urgent and desperate.

He said the Government cannot continue its current business as usual attitude to this problem in our midst.

“It must collaborate with the churches and NGOs and invest in a rollout of safehouses across the nation, whilst simultaneously adopting a proactive preventative approach.”

He added that given the urgency and desperation of this situation, it is important that government considers renting properties for safe houses, as it plans for long term solutions.

“There is nothing in this budget to address this cancer. Is it because this problem predominantly affects women, young girls and children?” Wale questioned.

He said that in difficult uncertain times, “we must unite to fight together. Such unity is empty if we continue to turn a blind eye to the weak, the marginalised, the suffering, the abused, the violated in our midst.

“I am very ashamed of this blatant, and it seems deliberate, neglect. We continue on with our insulated lives oblivious to the suffering of our women folk.

“This is not the Solomon Islands society we want to see or build,” he said.

Wale said the Government must show more empathy and compassion.

“Health safety and social safety are connected to national security – surely there is somewhere in these cold-blooded calculations that we can find to fit in funding for our vulnerable and abused women, girls and children.

He made a direct appeal to the PM to intervene personally in this matter and find serious funding to adequately respond to this great need.

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