Today’s Solomon Star screamed “Whose Highly Paid”. There was no doubt that some parliamentarians would top the list, it was a question of how much. Again the Solomon Islands Public Employees Union, SIPEU, should be dismayed to learn that a minister of the crown takes home $360,000 per month. That is an astromonical figure; surely Solomon Star must have its facts wrong. But I have read the paragraph a hundred times and it does say “per month”. Could it be an annual salary which also includes perks and benefits due to our Government Minister’s? If those figures and facts are correct then that is almost 3 times what a senior engineer at Our Telekom would earn annually, only that our Government Minister’s make it in a single month and 12 times a year. Its simply astounding!
My intended rebuttal would have been to investigate “Who returns most value for money”? And perhaps in that regard, our parliamentarians would probably rank well below average.
I strongly advocate for “quality over quantity” and too many times I am guilty of giving up more than I receive but it does give me a great sense of satisfaction.
If that same principle were applied to our Parliamentarians then perhaps it is of little comfort that many public commentators perceive this government as the “most corrupt in our history”. The stories of self-indulgence in public funds, cronyism and extravagant spending has marred the reign of a government who swept into power promising so much changes.
Gabriel Taloikwai holds a different view, he argues this is the best government since independence and I question his sincerity. Is he honestly purporting a stance that is genuine or is he deliberately being cynical, writing a satire that would have ultimately sent the wrong message to the public?
Government, the public and private sectors must ask themselves the question “who returns best value for money”? A “management audit” for all seems like a great idea at a time when the ordinary Solomon Islander is struggling to make ends meet.
An audit of our Government Minister’s performance should justify if public funds is being spent wisely on a handful of people. Are we getting the best out of those that continue to benefit from public funds? It is time to seriously ask ourselves this question; then find an answer that satisfies the mass public.