NATIONAL GOV’T PRIORITIZES PROVINCIAL HEALTH AND SERVICES GRANTS

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has announced that the National Government this year will prioritise funding for health care grants and quarterly service grants to all provincial governments to ensure service delivery continues in view of the ongoing challenges triggered by covid-19 in the country.

Sogavare said despite the cascading (economic) impacts across all levels of the society and given the tight fiscal space, health care grants are matched to the rising pressures on health care services and quarterly service grants to all Provincial Governments.

The National Government has seen the need to realign its priorities and had initially estimated the 2022 real GDP growth of around 1 percent.  This however has been revised to around -0.2 percent as a result of the November riots and lootings where more than 1,000 employees lost their jobs.

The identified priorities by the National Government will ensure it continues to deliver essential services to all Solomon Islanders through services rendered by the provincial governments throughout the country.

ENDS///