pledge

Solomon Islands

Political pledge

The 25 newly elected Solomon Islands MPs have given a written pledge of support for a national coalition partnership to form the new government and said they would not be persuaded to leave the grouping. The group, comprising members from six political parties and independents, said it was determined to replace the government of national unity led by Prime Minister Solomon Mamaloni.

Spokesman for the coalition, Dennis Lulei, says they took the stand because of what they believed was a ploy by Mamaloni to entice its members to join him by announcing there would be three new ministerial posts if he formed the government.

Lulei said any increase to the current 15 ministries would require an amendment to the constitution with a two-third support in parliament. ***

‘Erratic’

pay awards

The Central Bank of Solomon Islands has blamed the government’s erratic pay awards as the main cause of its financial problems. Releaseing the bank’s 1992 annual report, Governor of the bank, Tony Hughes, said public servant wage increases of 15 to 64 per cent in January were a great handicap to efforts by the private sector and unions to establish a sound basis for wage adjustments. Hughes said the ability of the commercial sector to pay for work, skills and qualifications and still survive in a competitive world should be a yardstievk for determing both the private and the public sector wages.

Hughes also criticised the Solomon Islands government for its “very generous” tax concessions to foreign investors.