Government strongly challenged on country’s high unemployment rate

OPPOSITION Leader challenges the government to address Solomon Islands’ huge unemployment problem.

“Unemployment, especially among our youth is one of our main challenges, it is a time bomb,” says Leader of Opposition Jeremiah Manele.

Mr Manele said the government must find ways to create employment for youth and turn their energy into something positive, raising their self-esteem and independence.

“In this connection, the government through the ministry of foreign affairs and external trade must work hard to ensure that Solomon Islands maximises the employment opportunities under the Labour Mobility Scheme with Australia, as well as, under the seasonal workers scheme with New Zealand,” he said.

Mr Manele said equally important is the need to economically empower our women including through mainstreaming gender into government line ministry policies and programmes.

“Otherwise women which make up almost half of our population will remain marginalised,” he said.

He said the parliament have also deliberated on the second white paper on Electoral Systems for Solomon Islands, which includes the temporary special measures (TSM) for women, to enable them to get into parliament.

“I for one support affirmative action for women. But on the TSM we need to get back to the drawing board in view of the different views and opinions we heard during the debate on this matter,” he said.