Gov’t completes Stimulus Package awareness in Malaita

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Economic Stimulus Package community awareness for constituencies and provincial wards in Malaita Province has been successfully conducted since last week.

The team led by Deputy Prime Minister Hon Manasseh Maelanga and Malaita MP’s and Officials from the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Ministry of Finance and Treasury and Ministry of National Planning and Development Coordination returned to Honiara yesterday.

The team have been divided into 4 groups; Northern, Southern, Eastern and Central regions covering the constituencies and provincial wards.

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Rural-based existing commercial operators who attended the talks has commended the government for the funding package which will help them sustain and expand their existing commercial activities.

The Malaitan people are also pleased that the government comes down to remote areas explaining the package assistance, the technicality of application process, selection criteria’s and the newly established Development Bank of Solomon Islands (DBSI).

Some farmers and rural operators also take that time to share hardships which they have been facing for past years such as accessing markets, infrastructure and the lack of assistance to increase their production activities.

Whilst on the ground, the team also conduct on-site tours of agricultural farms, fishery centres, forestry projects and other rural-based existing operators.

As understand, the stimulus package was established to cushion the negative impact of the virus on the economy. The overall objective is to keep the economy afloat and to ensure it does not go down the recession path until such time when the COVID-19 pandemic improves.

The guiding principles of the stimulus are:

• Quick economic return
• Significant impact on the rural and national economy in terms of employment and revenue
• And long term platform for economic recovery phase post-COVID-19.

Awareness talks has already been conducted for existing operators in parts of Guadalcanal, Isabel, West, Makira and Choiseul province.

Awareness for the remaining provinces: Central, Temotu and Rennell Bellona is set for next week.

Due date for provincial and rural areas applicants has been extended to 31^st of July.

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