Government eyes doubling Solomons aid

By HELEN TUNNAH deputy political editor

New Zealand's aid package for the Solomon Islands could more than double to $20 million as the Government considers ways of restoring order in the troubled nation.

The Cabinet will on Monday be asked to significantly boost New Zealand's aid contribution when it also formalises plans to send armed troops and police there.

Government aid to the Solomons now costs $8 million a year, but the Cabinet will consider approving funding of between $14 million and $20 million this financial year.

The police and Defence deployment is also expected to cost $15 million in the first year.

The new money would be spent on paying teachers and other civil servants, building and securing schools and a jail, and on strengthening justice and prosecution services.

Associate Foreign Affairs Minister Marian Hobbs, who has responsibility for overseas aid, told the Herald that projects under consideration would be costly but were needed to help the Solomons recover from years of conflict. The virtually bankrupt state has been racked by ethnic unrest, fuelled recently by armed rival criminal factions.

Pacific nations this week agreed in principle to a New Zealand and Australian-led armed rescue force for the Solomons, with the Parliament in Honiara to decide next week whether to approve the action.

New Zealand is expected to send up to 40 police, backed by 200 soldiers.

Ms Hobbs said yesterday increases in aid would follow talks with other major donors, such as Australia and the European Union, and the Solomon Islanders about the level of help needed.

"We will ask to have that increased to between $14 and $20 million ... from our aid budget."

She said New Zealand's policy was to work with Solomon Islanders to re-establish Government. "If we go in there it's to help people stand on their feet, not to stand on their feet for them.

"The Solomons is not poor in resources, it's just poor in governance."

About $6 million would be dedicated to education, where teachers needed to be re-enrolled, resources replaced and some buildings secured.

A further $1 million might be dedicated to the Inland Revenue service and $2 million towards completion of a prison. There would also be funding for the public prosecutor's office and local police.

Politicians debated the military and police deployment to the Solomon Islands yesterday in a snap debate in Parliament, with National leader Bill English asking exactly what New Zealand's police and soldiers would be doing.

Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff said the intervention force would want warlords such as Harold Keke, thought to be responsible for up to 50 killings, to give up his weapons or face arrest.

"Clearly those efforts would have to be backed by armed force."

Mr Goff said New Zealand could not afford the Solomon Islands to fail, because of the risks the country could then be used for gun or drug-running, people-smuggling and ultimately terrorism.