Solomons aid package jumps to $20m a year

By MARY-LOUISE O'CALLAGHAN, Herald correspondent

HONIARA - New Zealand aid to the Solomon Islands will leap to $20 million per annum this year, the largest single contribution to any country ever made under the Clark Government.

Announcing the new aid package yesterday in the capital, Honiara, Associate Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Marian Hobbs said Solomon Islanders' ownership of the rehabilitation process now taking place was absolutely vital. The Australian-led regional assistance mission, partly funded by Wellington, launched an ambitious intervention into the Solomons after a request from Honiara last year.

Ms Hobbs said she was extremely pleased by the work of New Zealand soldiers and police in the mission.

In addition to New Zealand's ongoing commitment to the mission, a total of $14.5 million each year for the next three years is to be directed towards kick-starting the country's education sector, which virtually collapsed during the civil unrest of the past few years.

Ms Hobbs said most of the funds this year would go towards providing text books for every child in years 1, 2 3, and 4 and forms 3 and 4, as well as storage for those text books.

Some of the money would also be used in subsequent years to subsidise school fees to help reach the Solomons target of 90 per cent attendance at the core levels.

Ms Hobbs said such a commitment was made possible only by the Solomons Education Ministry's clear strategy for the rehabilitation of the country's education sector.

Ms Hobbs yesterday signed a tripartite agreement with the Solomons Government and the European Union covering development aid to the education sector.

The Government will also contribute $3.5 million to Solomons land and justice sector under the new package.

Ms Hobbs said about $1 million had been earmarked for capacity building to make sure the aid could be used properly.

The package

* $20 million this year.

* $14.5 million a year for three years to boost education.

* $3.5 million for the land and justice sector.