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TSI Call for Normalization and kick starting of National Economic and Health and Medical Services Activities during the next 4 months of SOPE
Whilst Transparency Solomon Islands supports the extension of State Of Public Emergency (SOPE) for another four months it does so with caution reminding government to get its act together and ensure responses in the next four months are informed by the analysis of the last four months and the need to establish the foundation of long-term needs of the country in these two areas. It is obvious that the government does not have the resources nor the capacity to respond to this pandemic should we have a positive case nor any others into the future. Instead of denying or underfunding the health and medical service delivery it should pour funds to deal with current situation as well as prepare the country’s health system for the future and also for when there is a positive case. With regard to economic activities it should look into building both economic and health infrastructures providing employment for the people. It should also look into innovative mechanisms ensuring what funds are circulating in the country continue to do so and not suppress people’s economic activities as in the SOE period we have just come out of.
In this regard Transparency Solomon Islands like others who have already raised, support calls for responses in the next four months to concentrate on the most likely avenues that the coronavirus will come through if it enters Solomon Islands. TSI is Calling for tougher but doable control mechanisms, informed by proven scientific data, health data and border measures learning from the experiences of our neighbours that will continue to keep the virus out of Solomon Islands. Our international borders and travel beyond these borders, means through which people enter from outside into the country and into our rural areas must form part of what we do in this next four months. This will allow our people to go on with their normal life knowing that their government is using their entrusted powers to keep the virus out.
Transparency Solomon Islands (TSI) is cautious of the rising cases of covid-19 in the neighboring countries, especially Papua New Guinea (PNG) who share few kilometers apart border between PNG’s Bougainville and the Western Province.
Thus, TSI supports the extension of the State of Public Emergency but insisted that national economic activities should not be disturbed, by ensuring there is strict measures on the country’s international border. Some of these measures include requiring vessels to be equipped with vessel monitoring equipment’s, extra measures for logging and mining vessels going into the rural areas, Solomon Islanders travelling outside the country meeting their own quarantine cost upon return etc.
Our borders must be monitored and any entry by ships or planes must comply with strict measures before allowed into Solomon Islands. Cargo vessels and yachts or any vessels bound for Solomon Islands must be quarantined 14 days upon arrival and those handling the vessels to be fully provided with protective gear and a wash down facility before they go home. For crew to be fully tested from their last port and tested again upon arrival and not to socialize but deliver their goods, pick up good and leave.
TSI aware of log ponds and private jetties being used by vessels coming from overseas that went straight to those places to load and unload things, which puts the country at risk of covid-19.
The Leroy Jetty at Ranadi is one of the private jetties used by ships coming from overseas to unload cargoes that need to follow the tougher quarantine process before it is allowed to physically contact with people on land. Tougher measures should be applied to these jetties and they should be required to meet the full cost of requirement of foreign vessels entering the country.
The role of SIPA, SIMA and authorities responsible for ensuring legal measures including those in Emergency Powers Act are complied with by incoming ships or flights and not be downplayed or undermine/influenced by political interests and corrupt public officials. We saw some of these interferences in the last SOE period and don’t want to see it in the coming four months.
TSI is still very much concern about vessels coming from overseas going straight to Rennell island to load bauxite. Rennell is very isolated, so accessing medical services is not that easy since distance and remoteness of communities remain a challenge. Should government be adamant about this then build a proper COVID 19 facility there or the company does so. For the first responders to any incidence of COVOD 19 in these remote areas will be close relatives and families and the risk for this to spread uncontrolled is just too enormous to even warrant allowing that mining operation to continue as it does in the last SOE period. Ships sailing directly from China the origin of COVID 19 to load bauxites demands for stronger measures.
Government cannot allow for normal economic activities by foreigners such as loggers and miners to continue in the rural areas without acknowledging the huge risk it puts our people into. It must take precaution for the likely consequences that the virus will bring to our communities is just unfathomable and at all cost we must do all to respond for the first responders to any infection there will be the families and community people not the health workers or people who are trained. When the COVID 19 pandemic affects the world economy, it makes very little sense not to pour support to the 80 % of our population supporting their community resilience and affluence in food security and their ability to build the national economy.
These are the things that need to be strictly monitored and make sure tougher quarantine process is applied before these vessels arrive, whilst in port, where their crew go, who they come into contact with and when they leave. Vessels coming into our country are the biggest threat to our COVID 19 free status.
A 14 days quarantine for those ships must be compulsory applied, independently monitored by responsible authorities apply not from the day they left for Solomon Islands at their last port of call but as they enter our borders.
Furthermore, TSI urged the Solomon Ports Authority (SIPA) to tight up their measures and demand protective clothing and gears must be worn when outside of their vessels unloading and loading cargos.
On those leaving the country during this time of border restrictions to countries outside upon their return should meet their own costs in the quarantine centers.
Quarantine costs meet by the government should be only for returning students studying overseas and stranded citizens who went abroad before the pandemic forced countries to close their borders. But not those who knew the risks and travel overseas to incur unnecessary quarantine costs on the government upon their return.
Moreover, TSI urged the government and donors to use this SOPE period to build socio-economic infrastructures that will stimulate the national economy. Build Infrastructures and products that support national economic activities at this time and prepare us for international trade into the future.
Basic exportable commodities like cocoa, copra and now kava continue to attract world market despite the pandemic. Hence, government must support local producers and build infrastructures that will empower our people to participate in economic activities, both in rural and urban areas.
So, TSI supports the extension of the SOPE but calls for the kick start of national economy other than planning for overseas markets. If these are necessary and we do not think it is at this time tougher control on our frontiers, while work on equipping our health centers to stay alert of this global threat is a must.
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What you think?
