Public officers face 50% pay cut & sacking by Jan 2022 if they refuse vaccination

The Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare, today announced tough measures with public officers facing 50% salary cut and eventual sacking by the end of January 2022 once they refuse to be vaccinated.

Sogavare confirmed that about 82 percent of all employees of government have taken their first dose of COVID-19 vaccines.

He adds that the Ministry of Public Service is still compiling the data of all public servants that had taken at least their first dose of vaccination by 31^st August and they will update this coverage figures in due course.

He confirms that the Cabinet has already agreed to extend the grace period for the 1^st dose of COVID-19 vaccination to all employees of the national and provincial governments and SOEs that had not yet been vaccinated by 2 months to 31^st October 2021. Sogavare explains that during this period the unvaccinated employees can report to their workstations.

“By 31^st October 2021, any employee of the national and provincial governments and SOEs that still chooses to not be vaccinated shall have a 50% cut in salaries and will not be allowed to go to their workplaces. By 31^st January 2022, any employee that still chooses not to be vaccinated, will no longer be employed by the national, provincial governments and SOEs,” the prime minister, states today.