THE Opposition Leader, the Hon. Jeremiah Manele, this week challenged the government to address Solomon Islands’ huge unemployment problem.

He reportedly said, “Unemployment, especially among our youth is one of our main challenges; it is a time bomb,”

Hon Manele went on to add that the government must find ways to create employment for youth and turn their energy into something positive, raising their self-esteem and independence.

In 2014m writing to the Solomon Times on Line publication, I said:

“The seemingly intractable problems associated with youth unemployment in Honiara and the resulting evidence of increased substance abuse, including the growing and use of marijuana, the consumption of kwaso (home brew), incidences of anti-social behaviour and criminal acts have featured significantly in Editorial columns of the local press and in other articles this past week.

Honiara isn’t alone in facing the problems highlighted and, indeed, it can be said many of the Pacific states face the same, if not more serious, issues arising from the respective nation’s ability to manage development and provide for the rapidly growing population. The Solomon Islands is no exception.

The various schemes implemented by the government, such as the rapid employment scheme and the offshore, seasonal work offered to young people engaged in fruit harvesting simply isn’t enough to meet the needs and expectations of the growing numbers of school drop outs and idle youth flooding into the national capital from the provinces.

I am not alone in describing the current situation as a security challenge akin to a ticking time bomb, although I likened the situation of the unemployed youth in 2009 to a tinder box. (See my letter to the Pacific Islands Report entitled, ‘Idle Solomons Youth a Tinder Box’, published on 10 December 2009).

I am detached from the local scene but I have repeatedly suggested ways in which help might be forthcoming for the youth in articles that I have contributed to the local Solomon Times online publication.

In one article I forecast that help could possibly be sought from the Government of South Korea (‘South Korean Help in Training Solomons Youth,’ dated 4 December 2008) and in another (‘A possible solution for the rural poor, ‘dated 10 January 2011)

In the last article, I had mentioned how the Japanese Government’s External Trade Organization (JETRO) was helping to promote Thailand’s growing and successful “OTOP” products in Japan.

I don’t know whether any of my suggestions were considered by the Solomon Islands Government.

The challenges the nation faces in respect of its unemployed young people must be tackled before the situation does become the ‘time bomb’ others have referred to.

A starting point, I would suggest is that the government re-examine the findings and projected solutions to youth unemployment in the excellent report styled, ‘The State of Pacific Youth – 2005’ written under the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF Pacific) and funded by the New Zealand’s International Aid and Development Agency (NZAID.

Yes, 2005. I haven’t written the wrong date. The information in that report is just as relevant, if not more so, than when it was first compiled and issued.

I understand copies of the report can be downloaded or obtained from the UN Children’s Fund Headquarters in Suva.

I would even go so far to suggest to the Solomon Islands Government that the author of that report, if still available, Dr. Chris McMurrary be consulted and to advise the government on measures that might be taken now.

The report is very comprehensive and clearly argued that not enough had been done to address the underlying causes of the youth unemployment problem and indicates how youths have become disempowered in the process of often being ignored and not listened to.

I do not believe that in the Solomons there is a shortage of young people with the ability, courage, enterprise and initiative to become leaders in their own right and here I single out and commend the enterprise of 23 year old Patrick Arathe in creating and productively running a cooperative farm at Kindu near Munda in the Western Province. His farm has become the largest urban agricultural enterprise on New Georgia Island and is reported to be providing the youths, and others, with a sustainable livelihood.

Likewise, congratulations are due to Justine Fationo, a young women police officer serving as a Family Violence officer in the RSIPF. In a speech she gave this last week (2014) in the Cook Islands, when addressing a Conference of Pacific Women, she spoke passionately about her belief that Solomon’s youth can become leaders in the community and she regarded herself as a future advocate for women’s rights.

In the last couple of days the Solomon Islands Government has announced the launch of a National Human Resources Development and Training Plan (NHRDTP) that aims to support better employment prospects for the country’s growing youth population.

It is very much hoped that this new initiative will provide a coordinated effort to quickly deal with the plight of the unemployed youth and the training to be provided will develop a much better skilled and educated work force in readiness to fill employment opportunities that might be created at home and overseas.

The Government initiative is welcome but time will tell whether adequate and early job opportunities can be created for the problem of youth unemployment has lingered far too long.”

Now in 2017, I am not aware of the success or otherwise of the National Human Resources Development and Training Plan (NHRDTP) that aimed to support better employment prospects for the country’s growing youth population in 2014.

I do know that more than 600 Solomon Islanders currently (2017) work in viticulture and horticulture in New Zealand the highest number since Solomon Islands joined the scheme in 2007.  These figures pale in comparison, however, to other countries such as Vanuatu who have more than 4000 workers in NZ and Samoa and Tonga who have around 2000 workers respectively.

It is understood the biggest issue with hiring more workers from the Solomons is the cost of airfares from Solomon Islands which are almost double that of the other Pacific countries involved in the RSE scheme.

Other issues, apparently, included the financial difficulty for Solomon Islanders in meeting visa requirements particularly medical examinations.

Recently the, Hon Milner Tozaka, Solomon Islands Foreign Minister, said he had relayed some of these difficulties to his New Zealand counterpart, Murray McCully, when he visited New Zealand recently and reported he had been pleased to receive an offer of technical assistance.

One will need to see what help for Solomon Island’s seasonal workers transpires, I guess.  Hopefully, New Zealand will help, as it has traditionally done in so many ways.

Meanwhile the Western Provincial government is pursuing its own policies on youth employment to the maximum, said the Hon Maloney Lopoto, during Gizo Youth work’s graduation ceremony last Friday, adding the WP government under its policy requires a broad front economic development and reform programme to address youth unemployment.

He said the provincial government is committed to working closely with the national government through various ministries, vocational schools, tertiary institutions and the Ministry of Finance through macro-economic policy, SINU, TEVET and policy frame works to decrease the rate of unemployed youths in the province.

Equally, one will need to see how the Western Province comes up with effective solutions to the youth unemployment problem, but is wished success.

Ideally, the creation and productive operation of free economic zones, such as I have reported on successfully operating in Thailand, but also as the PM witnessed in Taiwan, would meet the needs of many unemployed people in the Solomons, including young people.

Some brave new options are perhaps needed by the government for the injection of capital and technology transfers to kick-start such planned free economic zones once the necessary legislation is in place, but perhaps at the risk of delicate diplomatic relations as have existed since independence in 1978.

Yours sincerely

Frank Short