MORE BUDGET NEEDED FOR HEALTH IN SOLOMON ISLANDS

The Solomon Islands Prime Minister this week visited the National Referral Hospital (NRH). The visit was published on the facebook page of local veteran journalist Robert Iroga, Solomon Business Magazine and had failed to feature on any of the local mainstream media website. The visit by the Prime Minister could be seen as the first step towards getting commitment to addressing the dilapidated state of the country’s only referral Hospital. The article itself was laughable as it seems to implicate a shocked Prime Minister at the state of the NRH when the issue has been raised on numerous occasions in the past. NRH as an institution has seen a considerable amount of neglect by Governments over the past years which has seen it lack basic medicines and lifesaving equipment that could make a difference in the lives of thousands of Solomon Islanders who end up being admitted there. Among issues of neglect include the lack of government budgetary support to ensure the hospital can be run at maximum capacity, improved and maintained.

10 years ago the Government ordered a special committee enquiry into the state of the NRH. The subsequent 2009 Special Select Committee Hearing into the Quality of Medical Services at the National Referral Hospital found that services at the hospital was a national disgrace, according to the Chair of the Committee Peter Boyers. Among the recommendations outlined in the report and those needing urgent action include increased budgeted funding, more staff, medical equipment and better computer software. It is sad to see that since then the issue of funding is still neglected as what was relayed to the Prime Minister by the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Steve Aumanu when presenting the various issues surrounding the state and affairs of the hospital. Among the feedback from Dr Aumanu included budgetary support which was at a minimal of $27 million a year, way below a needed $40 million that would help in meeting the expected capacity of the hospital. Health should be a top priority of any government since it relates to much of the country’s economic and social woes as more Solomon Islanders die each year from illness that could be easily cured if the country has the right equipment and training for staff. Investment in this sector could have positive repercussions for the country.

People at times had to sleep on corridors due to shortage of beds (RNZI)

Politicians have long been blamed by ordinary Solomon Islanders of failing to recognize the importance of the NRH due to the direct benefit they have as leaders to a 10 bed arrangement with Saint Vincent Hospital in Sydney, Australia. Although the arrangement was purposely arranged for Solomon Islands citizens needing special medical attention, over the past years Members of Parliament have benefited themselves and their cronies to this arrangement. In doing so they have placed themselves out of the realities of the only institutions that caters for ordinary Solomon Islanders. The only option the Government should now look at is improving facilities at the NRH as one day when they are no longer politicians they took will end up being admitted at the Hospital.

With Solomon Islanders facing huge health risks from Non-Communicable Disease and other illnesses, it is only appropriate that the Government take more attention towards addressing this issue. The health and well- being of a country is important to the economic and social growth of a country, hence there should be proper emphasis on policies and budgetary allocation to addressing the country’s health woes. Let us see whether the visit by the Prime Minster to the NRH would have any bearing on the yet to be released Government Policy and 2019 Budgetary allocations. If not this visit will only be another publicity stunt that the Government has so far embarked on to ease negative public perceptions held against it since the election of Prime Minister last month.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/187986/critical-solomons-government-report-on-state-of-national-hospital

New coordinator pegged for St Vincent’s 10-bed program

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Solomon MPs face Election Petitions.

Politics in the Solomon Islands got a little more interesting this week as more than half of the elected Members of Parliament are slapped with election petitions that could see them lose their seats within a year.

On Monday, the High Court of Solomon Islands confirmed that up to 29 election petitions were received at the close of the accepted petition period following elections on April 3^rd. From the list released by the High Court, the highest number of petitions were on Malaita which saw 12 out the 14 MPs being served. Guadalcanal and Western Province had four each, Choiseul and Central with two each and Honiara with three. The other provinces of Temotu and Makira had 1, while Isabel and Rennell and Bellona had no petition filed. Those that were handed petitions included the Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare for his East Choiseul seat.

The number of petitions were a hike from the 2014 National General Elections which saw 15 election petitions. Out of the 15 only two were successful in ousting a sitting Member of Parliament. Electoral petitions have been a common response by losing candidates in National General Elections and the often slow process in getting them through the court system and the lack of clarity on what constitutes an electoral offence has been a challenge. The slow process in getting decisions on electoral petitions were evident in the two successful petitions for the seats of Gizo/Kolombangara and Temotu Vatud which was only decided four years after the electins of 2014 were held. It is the time and cost factor that has failed to see a lot of election petitions through in the years up to the 2014 elections.

With the introduction of the new electoral reform act in 2017, it has enabled a clause to ensure that election petitions are heard within one year of elections. It also has provided more clarity on what constitutes an electoral offence. Most petitions in the past were on the basis of election eve related bribery perceived to be carried out by election candidates or their agents in order to influence votes. In Solomon Islands politics, there is a very thin line between defining bribery and cultural obligation of gifting, an act whereby a person can earn status or support through helping people through material gifts or kind. While it can be legally termed as bribing, the art of sharing material gift and cash during election campaigns have long been accepted by ordinary Solomon Islanders as the yardstick for election votes.

With the record number of petitions in this last elections, the question that everyone is asking is, is it safe to say that the recent National General Election was the most corrupt in the history of elections in the Solomon Islands? Or is it through the availability of a new set of law that has enabled people to see how they can hold their leaders accountable. The past two National General Elections in the Solomon Islands have seen a low turnover rate, as majority of MPs return. A likely reason for this could be the large amount of funds MPs have at their disposal which are often used to cement support rather than develop their constituencies. This was in sharp contrast to elections prior to the ethnic crisis where there was always a high turnover of above 50 percent. It is therefore important to note the difference in election turnover rates to the recent trend of accumulating funds under the control of Members of Parliament.

With the new electoral act stating that election petitions be heard within a year of submission it will be interesting how the court system handles the cases given its list constrains including lack of courtrooms and judges. It will however be a chance to test the new electoral act, and to send a statement that being elected into Parliament must be free from vote buying and other forms of influence.

Brian Lezutuni	May 21, 2019, 2:13 PM (23 hours ago)
to me

https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/389703/more-than-half-of-solomons-new-parliament-facing-election-petitions

5 ELECTION PETITIONS TO APPEAR BEFORE COURT

http://www.pina.com.fj/index.php?p=pacnews&m=read&o=553791935bbc063fe17ddc29420016

FROM TAX EXEMPTIONS TO PAY INCREASE: THE PERKS OF BEING A SOLOMON POLITICIAN

National Parliament of Solomon Islands. Pic (supplied)

They have done it again! Increased their salaries, a week after riots erupted in Honiara over the election of a new executive government many see as the continuation of the old regime which granted themselves exemptions from paying income tax during their last term in power.

The announcement this week that Parliamentarians will be getting a pay increase of almost 50 percent effective May 1^st adds more salt to the wound that the Sogavare government is nursing from public’s distrust in his leadership abilities.

There is now genuine reason for people to be angry. The National Referral Hospital is continuing to face shortages in medicine and life-saving equipment. The wages of public servants have been stagnant for so long against high cost of living and there is a lack of infrastructure and reliable services to the rural people of the Solomon Islands.

Against a gloomy national picture, the country’s Politicians are living the high life. Apart from not paying their income tax, each of the 50 MPs also have access to $7 million dollars a year from a discretionary ‘slush’ fund known as the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), where they can use wherever and however they like without any mechanisms in place to hold them accountable. The funds have been the subject of discussion in the country as despite MPs having access to millions of dollars every year, there is yet to be tangible development from the usage of this particular fund as most projects in the rural areas are donor funded. The politicians are also paid a non- taxed terminal grant of 400,000 each at the end of their Parliament term.

The timing of this latest announcement could not have come at a better time as the new coalition government is yet to formulate its policy statements and plans of action. Already the public has viewed this as a negative sign, thereby the only acceptable solution to this would be a review of the salary increase or work at improving that of public servants. It is matter that should be taken with the uttermost urgency and consideration if the Government is to have any trust.

Apart from that, there is a need for transparency and the strengthening of good governance practices in the way the executive and bureaucracy carry out their job to effectively plan and implement policies that would benefit ordinary Solomon Islanders scattered across this geographical complex country. Politicians need to be aware of the needs of the people who voted them in and offer hope in their future.

The former executive failed to listen to the pleas for politicians to pay income taxes like ordinary Solomon Islanders during the duration of the last Parliament. Will it lend an ear to the call to have their salaries reduced and focus in general on improving the lives of every Solomon Islanders?

https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/388103/solomon-mps-pay-increased-to-offset-income-tax

https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/376369/anger-in-solomons-as-mps-get-huge-terminal-grants

https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/programmes/datelinepacific/audio/2018658573/transparency-solomon-islands-exposes-mps-slush-funds

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