THOUSANDS of government workers expect to get a 3.5 per cent salary raise beginning later this week, according to sources.
The raise, commonly known here as Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) will be backdated to 01 January 2025 and will be paid on Thursday 13 February. By comparison, this year’s COLA is 0.5 per cent above a similar award made in April 2024.
Teachers, Nurses and Police would receive their increase the following week, according to the sources.
There are 5, 290 established public servants in Solomon Islands, along with about 600 non-established staff and around 1, 260 casual workers, according to an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Overview quoting recent reports.
It is unclear whether non-established staff and Casual workers are included in the pay increase.
Teachers, according to AI, has well over 11, 000 men and women teaching in thousands of schools across the nation. Police with 1,500 officers are in second place. Nursing is in third place at 1, 440 nurses, according to AI.
AI quoted a post from the Ministry of Health & Medical Services that there are approximately 1,440 nurses in the country.
“This figure represents the largest healthcare profession in Solomon Islands, making up 61 per cent of the total health sector workforce. Sources indicate that the “nurses and midwives per 1,000 people” figure in Solomon Islands is around 2.144,” AI said.
It is possible the data provided in the AI report is outdated. Many government data bases have not been updated for some time. Responsible staff are reportedly spending more time on Facebook at taxpayers’ expense.
AI also reported on the Government’s projected economic growth for this year, quoting the government.
“According to the Solomon Islands government, the projected economic growth for 2025 is 3.8 per cent. This growth is expected to be driven by a robust mining sector, increased fishing activity, and growth in the service industries,” it said.
The information, AI said, is based on the Solomon Islands government’s budget statement. Growth rate: 3.8 per cent real GDP growth. Mining, fishing and services have been identified as the key sectors driving the growth.
In his Budget Speech early last month, Finance and Treasury Minister Manasseh Sogavare told Parliament on the country’s 2025 Economic Outlook:
“Mr. Speaker, looking ahead, Solomon Islands economic recovery process is expected to remain stable with real GDP growth projected at 3.8 per cent in 2025, 4.3 per cent in 2026 and 4 per cent in 2027.”
Others expressed a different view on the real GDP growth.
“The economy is poised to recover gradually in 2025, having likely experienced its slowest growth in 32 years in 2024 amid sticky inflation and elevated interest rates. We foresee full-year 2025 GDP growth of around 2 per cent”.
By Alfred Sasako
