8 Jan 2003

Task forces planned in Solomons to tackle funding crisis in government departments

10:50 am on 8 January 2003

The Solomon Islands Government is planning to set up a series of task forces to try and rationalise spending in several key government ministries.

The Prime Minister's spokesman Edward Kingmele says the first will be in the Education Ministry which has to find millions of dollars by the end of this month to ensure the country's students can attend the University of the South Pacific in Suva this year.

The USP is owed more than two and a half million US dollars in outstanding student fees, as well as the government's contribution to the running of the regional institution.

Mr Kingmele says the task force will look at the entire set up in the Education sector.

He says other task forces will later look into law and order, revenue, and development projects.

The European Union has already offered to help pay some of the costs and is negotiating with the USP to try and get it to accept Solomon students for this year.