LEADER of Opposition Matthew Wale says the government’s track record over the past nine years has gotten from bad to worse.
Speaking in Parliament this week, Wale questioned whether the Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2024 will substantively address the concerns attached to the ailing state of our economy. Finance Minister Manasseh Sogavare tabled the Bill this week.
“I am disheartened. The Minister told us that ‘all is not gloom’ and we must hope for better ahead – but hoping in hope alone doesn’t seem to have done anything. Government’s track record speaks for itself on this,” Wale said.
The Opposition Leader said the current state of our roads, healthcare and hardships faced each day by citizens of this country is a disturbing situation.
Wale has highlighted the very poor state of our public healthcare as an example.
“If you are having surgery at the National Referral Hospital, you are specifically instructed to bring your own supplies for such a surgery. This is at the NRH. How much worse must it be at provincial hospitals and clinics?
This is not a new situation, nor is it a recent problem. It is a problem that has become particularly worse in the prior nine years under the last two governments,” he said.
The Opposition Leader said medicines and medical supplies do not seem to meet the threshold of priority expenditures by government.
He said it is hard to understand how such a situation has remained so bad for so long.
Wale said statement after statement of government addressing this situation have been made over the last nine years, both in Parliament and in the media, but the situation seems to be getting worse.
“Many Solomon Islanders die preventable deaths, simply because the medicines are not available. This situation has continued for so long because it has been acceptable to government. One therefore must ask how can this be an acceptable situation to government? Wale stated.
The Opposition Leader said an allocation of $11m towards medicines and medical supplies is grossly inadequate to meet the need in the healthcare system.
He said the gross underinvestment in healthcare over so long could not be fixed with band-aid.
Wale added that the state of roads is just horrible and there is no other word to properly describe it than ‘horrible.’
But he added that he this is not a new phenomenon.
The Opposition Leader said whilst there is work on parts of our roads, at the very least, the government must take urgent steps to make the roads passable to avoid traffic.
He said the procurement process, as important as it is, seems to contribute to the horrible state of our roads.
- Opposition Press
