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Beulah hits out at gov’t over education policy

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Biula School Board members

BY BEN BILUA
Gizo

BEULAH Provincial Secondary School Board has questioned the government’s post covid-19 Education Policy saying many boarding schools are suffering as a result of government’s failure to honor its policy.

Principal of Beulah PSS Frank Nagu said the government needs to explain its side about the free education policy announced last year in response to covid-19.

“Last year the government announced that there will be free education for students, but the issue here is, schools’ needs funds to sustain students in term of foods among other school needs.

“We are yet to see the government subsidizing cost of foods for schools, especially boarding schools.

“I want to highlight that students’ survived on school fees to pay foods and to stop students from paying school fees does not make sense unless the government reaches out its support to subsidise cost of foods,” he said.

Nagu said most parents have relied on the government policy on free education with burden rested on school board to look for alternatives to feed the students.

He said the government needs to explain to the people especially parents on how the free education policy works and the responsibilities that requires smoothly roll out the policy.

Member of the Board, Freedom Tozaka shared similar sentiment saying that boarding schools have faced challenges due to government ignorance.

“Someone is hiding behind these policies and it is high time that these policies must be properly scrutinized for the betterment our education system.

“I feel that school boards are performing the responsibilities of authorities at the national level in an effort to offer education for all.

“It is sad that school boards are struggling alone in this matter – meaning our education system needs greater political will to see its policies implemented,” he said.

Tozaka stressed that the issue of poor results year in year out is the result of pure negligence from responsible authorities.

2021 Easter most peaceful: Police

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Jennifer Kusapa
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Police Commissioner Mostyn Mangau.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

POLICE Commissioner Mostyn Mangau has described this easter celebration as peaceful better than previous Easter seasons.

Police are commending the public for such good behaviour.

He said a number of reports received by police were low with no major issues or incidents happening.

Though one incident recorded in Makira regarding the death of a 70-year-old male after a boat sunk on April 2, 2021 while travelling from Kirakira to Santa Ana, throughout the provinces citizens celebrated Easter peaceful.

Therefore Mangau thank the churches and the general public for their good behaviour and also for organizing events and games where youths were involved and engaged during the Easter season.

“I wish to thank the churches and sporting organisations for organising activities to mark the long Easter weekend keeping our youth preoccupied with a positive frame of mind.

“I appeal to all good citizens of this country to continue with such good behaviour during celebrations of any sort. Your police is there to support you and make sure we are all safe during any celebration,” says Commissioner Mangau.

–RSIPF

4 months jail for indecent assault

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Jennifer Kusapa
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BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

A man from Kia in Isabel province has been sentenced to eight months but will only serve four months in jail for indecently assaulting a woman at Varagia in Isabel province on November 28, 2019.

Principal Magistrate Felix Hollison in sentencing the accused said in this present case, there was no physical touching and the court is of the view that this case should be considered and categorised as one of the least serious cases of indecent act, and it should be in the lower end of the spectrum in terms of its severity.

However, this sentence should serve as a warning to each and everyone in this country that exposing one’s private part to another person without the consent of that other person amounts to an indecent act.

“Sexual offences and violence must be contained and curtailed at all costs and respect must be accorded to our vulnerable groups such as children, girls, women and the elderly.

“The defendant must learn from his conviction and his present incarceration for the purposes of his reintegration into the community upon his release in due course.”

Hollison said the offence of indecent act was committed at night when the victim was alone at her kitchen preparing food. She refused the defendant’s sexual advances and went and sat under her house in which he followed her. He pulled out his private part in a manner that is disrespectful, impolite and wrong in custom.

Hollison also said the present case has a few aggravating features and the facts confirmed that no physical touching was involved between the defendant and the complainant, and in the absence of any evidence that the victim was traumatised.

“I am of the view that section 44(1) of the Penal Code [Cap 26] should be invoked and the sentence shall be partially suspended. The defendant shall serve only 4 months in prison whilst the balance of the total sentence shall be suspended for 12 months,” Hollison said

Hollison also said in his sentence that victim’s husband was away in Honiara at the time of the incident. She reported the incident to her husband and her husband took the matter up with the chiefs.

On December 4, 2019, the chiefs and the Crime and Prevention Committee of Varagia Village held a meeting concerning the matter against the defendant. The defendant admitted to what he did to the complainant. The Panel gave a decision for the defendant to pay compensation within the time and there the matter was reported to the Police on March 16, 2020.

The accused also paid compensation of $500 and has reconciled with the victim and her husband.

Beulah school establishes student welfare policy

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Beulah PSS

BY BEN BILUA
Gizo

THE Board of Beulah Provincial Secondary School has established and passed two policies aiming at promoting equal access to education and also welfare of students during their recent meeting.

School Principal, Frank Nagu explained that the equal access policy focuses on students whose parents are financially incapable to live up to the pressure of paying school fees.

“We came to realise that some students fall behind in terms of paying school fees. Most of these students comes from financially incapable background.

“So, we establish this policy to help students by way of doing small jobs for the school and wages will be leverages on school fee. For example, a student can plant 300 mounts of potato because she/he unable to pay his/her school fee which the main source of revenue to buy foods for the school. Student can still attend school while finishing his/her task. In doing so, we will not send students home due to school fee issue,” he explains.

Nagu said the welfare policy is looking at improving the school’s ration.

He explained that students will be required to bring in 20kg rice, 20kg potato and cassava at the beginning of the semester along with quarter of their school fees.

“The board agreed that Beulah will be paying quarterly school fee – meaning the full amount of school fee will be divided into each term and students are required to bring in the quarterly amount after their holidays.

“The board also agreed that students will bring foods as listed above at the beginning of the year and after June holidays.

“The food contributions will help students ration while waiting for the other batch of school fees on the other term,” Nagu said.

Principle Education Officer of Western Province, Freedom Tozaka said the policies demonstrates how school boards struggle to make sure schools keep their doors open as assistance from national government continues to decrease.

He adds that the policies will help parents to prepare in advance before beginning of each semesters.

Conservation groups learn about environment’s laws

Written by
Samie Waikori
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Participants attended the recent legal awareness workshop faciliated by SIELA at Ahetaha in Manawai East Are Are

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

AUKI

CONSERVATION groups in East Are Are recently completed a two-day legal awareness workshop at Ahetaha in Manawai, East Are Are.

The workshop was facilitated by Project Coordinator of Solomon Islands Environmental Law Association (SIELA), Ms Kenya Kenieroa to 23 participants representing a total of 10 conservation groups.

In a statement received from Ms Kenieroa, the aim of the workshop was to support the groups with necessary required legal information to help them boost and protect their conservation initiative through law.

Also, part of the workshop is SIELA’s aim to pave way for conservation groups towards the Protected Areas Act (PAA), to enable them establish Protected Areas.

The awareness programme covers key environmental laws of Solomon Islands such as Environment Act, 1998, Fisheries Management Act, 2015, Mines and Minerals Act, 1990, Forest and Timber Utilization Act and the Protected Area Act, 2010.

And the focus of discussion the acts was drawn to the legal process and the agencies responsible in enforcing the Acts.

The workshop was beneficial to the conservation groups as they now aware of legal process and how to implement activities under their conservation management plan and develop other conservation works.

Participants were grateful to host SIELA for the first time and benefited from information disseminated on environment-related laws in their location.

A participant, Mr Reginald Wate thanked SIELA for information learned on the content of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and understanding its legal aspects.

Another participant, Mr Francis Airu also thanked SIELA and expressed his group’s interest in the Protected Area Act, 2010 and requested template 1-16 of the Protected Area Act Toolkit.

Project Coordinator of Solomon Islands Environmental Law Association (SIELA), who is the main facilitator of the workshop, Ms Kenya Kenieroa (front) during the training at Ahetaha.

He said their community is now in the process of mapping their proposed area and will ensure they complete the outstanding legal process very soon.

SIELA thanked Ahetaha Water Conservation (AWCA) for hosting the venue and inviting SIELA as legal body that disseminated legal information on the Environment-related laws of Solomon Islands during the workshop.

SIELA also acknowledged Pacific People Advancing Change (PPAC) for financially supporting the two days legal awareness workshop.

AWCA reaches out with training on kava to conservation groups

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Samie Waikori
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Mai-Maasina Green Belt Kava (MMGB) Coordinator, Mr Alick Kings Rouhau is explaining kava stalk preparation to participants attended the kava training.

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

AUKI

AHETAHA Water Conservation Association recently conducted a one-day kava training for 14 sister conservation groups from East Are Are, East Kwaio and Small Malaita.

The training was held at Ahetaha in Manawai as part of AWCA’s programmes to establish and develop alternative livelihood income generating for the conservation groups.

In a statement from ACWA coordinator, Mr Eddie Huitarau said the training was facilitated by Mai-Maasina Green Belt Kava (MMGB) Coordinator, Mr Alick Kings Rouhau and covered three main areas on the commercial crop.

He said the areas covered during the training were, production, harvesting and processing kava products for market.

Huitarau said Mr Rouhau explained the three main areas of kava to the participants as they learned on site selection for kava planting, harvesting and preparing the product for market.

“During the training, participants were also privileged to witness demonstration of what they learned in the training.

Site selection for kava planting demonstration.

“At the end of the training, Mr Rouhau handed over a bag of 400 kava stalks to AWCA as support from MMGB to boost kava programme amongst its conservation groups,” he said.

On that note, Huitarau highlighted that kava farming is one of MMGB’s economic business products aiming to assist communities and tribal lands through provision of alternative livelihood sources to people.

“MMGB came with the idea to support the need of conservation groups to become financial reliant to look after and manage its own conservation programmes and activities.

“This also can help MMGB members to be financially strong and less depends on support from grants and donor assistances,” he said.

Huitarau said under MMGB’s five years plan, it expects by 2025 to establish MMGB Kava brand with 50 farmers associated with its conservation member groups.

World Vision holds virtual meeting

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A group photo of World Vision senior staff attending a meeting at the Heritage Park Hotel.

World Vision Solomon Islands successfully held a two-day virtual meeting for its senior staff at Heritage Park Hotel in Honiara this week.

The meeting allowed senior staff heads within the different departments of the organisation to share information on plans and their responsibilities to each other. They also discussed areas that matter towards improving the organisation’s operations.

During the two days, the participants were also able to attend trainings especially on Safeguarding. World Vision as a Christian organization is advocating for the protection of children thus safeguarding is key where every staff within the organisation must understand to ensure their conducts and the conducts of citizens they are working with uphold such principle. The topics covered in this training included child-labour, safeguarding on social media and many more topics. Corruption was also covered in their trainings.

The safeguarding training was conducted by World Vision Safe-Guarding Focal Point for Asia Pacific Arpana Rongong.

On the first day of the meeting, five representatives from World Vision Partner, the MFAT from New Zealand High Commission also attended to listen to the safeguarding training.

National Director Jimmy Nadapdap said such meetings is important because staff can share their challenges and identify action plans to address such challenges.

He further highlighted the meeting this week is the first of many senior meetings in the future.

Held from Tuesday to Wednesday, the participants included Senior Staff from Country Program Office (CPO) and area programs especially in Temotu, Makira and Malaita Area programs. Two participants were also full time virtually joined in from Australia and Vanuatu.

–WORLD VISION

Recurrent budget down by $272m

Written by
Eddie Osifelo
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Minister of Finance and Treasury Harry Kuma

By EDDIE OSIFELO

MINISTRY of Finance and Treasury has reduced the Recurrent Budget by $272 million in this year’s budget.

In 2020 budget, the recurrent budget was $3.082 billion.

However, this year, the government reduced it to $2.810 billion of the $4 billion budget.

This consists of payroll budget estimates of $1.290 billion and $1.520 billion for Other Charges.

Delivering his budget speech in Parliament on Tuesday, Minister Harry Kuma said the reduction reflects planned reductions in Other Charges budget as outlined below:

  1. Overall reduction by 40 percent on all ministries’ discretionary and non-essential line items except for productive and resources sectors ministries.
  2. All fixed costs are protected except all grants, which are reduced by 15 percent.  Utilities are also reduced by 5 percent.  Ministries are asked to manage at reduced amounts and impose stringent control measures on the usage of utilities.
  3. Scholarship budget is reduced by $120 million.  No new overseas scholarships will be considered in 2021   except for in country scholarships. Allowances and other allowances will also be reviewed and considered at reduced amounts during the year.
  4. All overseas-related travels have been reduced, as Government will not allow overseas travels in 2021 until we complete the vaccination roll out programme, and allow travel and trade activity to normalise.

Kuma said the 2021 budget is a very tight budget and the government will need to realistically plan and prioritise its activities in order to achieve tangible outcomes within the 2021 financial year and avoid any commitments that will further derail government’s fiscal situation.

“In this regard, the government has taken a drastic decision to reduce overall SIG expenditure from normal SIG revenue sources in order to maintain fiscal stability and affordability of the government fiscal plan in 2021.  

“This is to ensure funding is always readily available to pay all government suppliers on time,” he said.

Furthermore, Kuma said the government’s overall policy redirection plan is to manage payroll costs in 2021 and continue with current ongoing public service reforms.

Moreover, he said the government has already imposed a recruitment freeze across the whole of Public Service and this is effective as of 2nd January 2021.

He said in spite of the overall freeze on new recruitment, the government through the Ministry of Public Service will consider and redirect vacant positions in its strategic areas of policy priorities, especially in both the productive and resource sectors, including essential services.

Gov’t to follow DMF

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FINANCE Minister Harry Kuma says the Debt Management Framework (DMF) will guide any new borrowing proposal of the Government. 

Minister Kuma highlighted this during his 2021 Budget Speech in Parliament on Tuesday this week.

The Finance Minister said this framework provides the guidelines for the National Government to enter into new borrowing.

Mr Kuma said the Framework does not encourage large, one off borrowings, as they limit the Government’s ability to:

 a)           Adapt to economic shocks; and

 b)           Fund yet to be identified development initiatives that may exhibit high   economic and social returns.

“A Debt Management Advisory Committee (DMAC) has also been established to review borrowing proposals and make recommendations to the Minister for Finance,” Mr Kuma told Parliament.

He said at the end of 2020, the level of official Government debt was $1.226 billion. 

Minister Kuma said this consists of $774.9 million in external debts, $451.2 million in domestic debts and $30 million in other debts. 

The Finance Minister said the government plans to spend $84.8 million in debt servicing in 2021.

“At present, the Debt to GDP ratio is currently around 11.7 percent at the end of December 2020. This is a sustainable level. However, at this level of debt, the Solomon Islands has limited capacity to borrow to fund its needed development. To ensure that debt remains at a sustainable and affordable level, the government has resolved that new debt should only be incurred incrementally, in a steady and predictable manner,” he said.

—OPMC PRESS

$938m to productive and resource sector

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Eddie Osifelo
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By EDDIE OSIFELO

THE Government has committed $938 million under the Development Budget to the country’s productive and resource sectors.

This is part of the government’s re direction policy to address the changing dynamics of the “new normal” environment.

Delivering his speech on the $4 billion budget tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, Minister of Finance and Treasury, Harry Kuma said the productive sector is very important for the country’s growth and recovery process.

He said this explains why a total of $209.8 million is allocated to the productive sector.

This includes:

  1. $25 million for Agriculture Investments.
  2. $25 million for Commerce and trade investments.
  3. $24.8 million for Communication and Aviation investments.
  4. Under Fisheries, the government is allocating $15 million.
  5. Under Lands, the government is allocating$10 million.
  6. Under Tourism, the government is allocating $10 million.

Furthermore, Kuma said under the Infrastructure Development, the government is allocating$100 million in total.

He said the Government has provided a total of $370.4 million in additional funding to develop the projects and activities in these areas:

  1. Increase value added Industries and build a resilient economy
  2. Push for an Innovative development model for Solomon Islands
  3. Encourage strategic investment through the Public Private Partnership
  4. And ensure we maximize economic benefits of our resources. The government promotes more value adding industries and encourages investments that add value from our resources.

Kuma said the budget allocation towards the resource sectors have been increased in 2021 under the following sectors:

  1. Under Forestry, the government is allocating $10.6 million.
  2. Under Environment, the government is allocating $6 million.

Further to that, he said the government had decided to allocate $342 million, including $90 million from the People Republic of China (PRC) to support rural development and growth initiatives through the constituency development programme to establish small business, construct infrastructures, and create employment opportunities in the rural areas.

He said under Mines, the government is allocating $11.8 million.

Kuma said the government is providing an additional amount of $10 million towards the COVID-19 vaccination programme in 2021.

He said 2021 development budget will be collectively funded by domestic revenue, external financing and direct budget support from our development partners.

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