Home Development Workers in Labour Mobility Scheme Surpassed 4,000 Mark

Workers in Labour Mobility Scheme Surpassed 4,000 Mark

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BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

LABOUR mobility to seasonal work overseas has already gone over the 4,000 mark.

Going into by the end of December this year, the national government is projecting to at least pass the mark of ‘5,000’.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade (MFAET) Permanent Secretary (PS) Collin Beck on the issue of labour mobility said it has a ‘human face to it’ as the numbers going to Australia and now to New Zealand are growing.

Speaking during the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (OPMC) Press Conference held recently at Mendana Hotel, Mr Beck explain that so far they are doing pre-departure for more workers, this is for Australia bound.

“We basically have already gone over the 4,000 mark, we have passed that.  Going into by the end of December we are projecting to at least pass the 5,000 mark,” said Beck.

“So the work on this is going in the right direction, there is a lot of interest. A lot of challenges we are facing now are ‘positive challenges’.  How to deal with possessing of passport and such, this is basically legal documenting for our people. It is something that we have been trying to embrace but we just need to also try to manage it within our capability and capacity. This is something that has brought good business.

“There is some reference to the matter of remittance, the inflow of remittance, the figures that are given, CBSI [Central Bank of Solomon Islands] actually reported on this which basically, we can confirm that if we check the figures against what is issued by the calculation and numbers given by CBSI, which is again part of our recovery remittance that is coming in, we are talking about $250M for the year 2021.

“As the numbers keep increasing, the numbers will continue to change, this is something that we continue to welcome.

“Touching on why our numbers are increasing, it is basically workers have built good reputation overseas. Despite comments, we have built a good reputation in terms of we have our brand to work, which is basically about responsibility, commitment, dedication and also courteous. And basically as much as possible have lived within that, cooperate, have a good relationship both with the employer and have observed Australian regulations and also try to respect themselves. Of course, there are one or two issues but these are issues that generally do not affect the general reputation of everyone. We try as much as possible to address them or isolate them so that it does not damage the program.

“So there is so much support not only by the government but by the workers themselves. In terms of ensuring that there is a cycle of more ‘wantoks’ [people] going over to work and take on the opportunity both in Australia and now New Zealand, there was a charter in which we sent for more workers to New Zealand. We are expecting more workers to go over to New Zealand as well during the course of this year.

Secretary to Prime Minister (SPM) Dr Jimmie Rodgers in addition to MFAET’s Permanent Secretary explained that based on projections being set four years ago, it was estimated that by 2023 the labour mobility to be sent overseas should reach 5,000 and by 2025 will reach 10,000.

However, based on the figures that the labour mobility will hit 5,000 by the end of this year is ‘ahead of schedule’, and then 10,000 by the end of 2025, can be achievable.

“We set ourselves projections around four years ago, that by 2023 we will reach 5,000 and by 2025 we will hit 10,000. Look like based on the figures, we will hit 5,000 by the end of this year ahead of schedule and then 10,000 by the end of 2025, I think that is achievable” said Rodgers.

“But also just to give you a little hint that there are two groups, categories that we have sent. There is the Pacific Labour Mobility long-term program, they are more skilled, they got three years visas and Australia has just changed its requirements so that if these longer-term people could or if they want to take their families with them. Whereas there was not such during the past.

“Then there is the seasonal workers’ program, the shorter one is nine months now. These are the lower skilled, fruit picking and all that. After nine months they return, depending on the farmers they could stay on. After returning to the country they can return overseas.

“Those are the two main areas, and I can echo what the PS [MFAET] said, I was in Canberra a little while ago, and Solomon Islanders were sort of raised amongst all the Pacific countries not because they are the best, we have some bad apples, but I think the commitment, the humility, the attitude to work demonstrated shines out more than other countries.

“And, this leads to the attractiveness of our people going overseas for seasonal work. So I think that is something important for us to look at.

“Of course when people start going out we will worry about ‘here’, that it might be all of our people travelling out, people have resigned from work, even those from the ministries have gone as well because there is more money out there. But I think there is going to be enough work here and there for these people to recycle and come back to help us. So I do not think that is going to be an issue.

“So one if we look at remittances, the best country if you want to look up, go to google and type Philippines Overseas Employment Administration [POEA], and they make billions of dollars every month from remittances. It is an industry. And this is the kind of thing that we want because it will affect households, the government, revenues and everybody. This is something that is useful for us.

“In where we want to develop now in labour mobility is in the health care setting, the aged care market, in Australia, New Zealand and Canada is going up.

“Australia for instance is estimated by the ‘World Bank’ that every year they will need 30, 000 workers in their health care settings. So these are areas that we must develop here. We have been discussing with Australia to put a program within our national university so that we can train our nurses that may be excess to our requirements over here.

“This is so that they get most of their training here and go for short skills registration training only at overseas. And then they can enter that market.

“There are a lot of opportunities, and so the foreign affairs have been doing an excellent job just pulling together, creating the pools and sending them to go. And so far I think we have benefited, as other countries are slowing down, we are speeding up a bit.”

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