This was after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade together with the New Zealand government set up an online database that will do that task.

Mr. Barret Salato from the Solomon Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the database they had setup jointly with the New Zealand government will enable them to access information on each of our single workers working in New Zealand.

Mr. Salato explained the database that is now in place will provide the Ministry background information on each of our workers working there. Information such as; who the workers are, where they come from in the Solomon Islands, what farm company or agents they work under, what are their daily earnings, when they would be able to complete their work and even how much money they can take back into the country once they return.

Ms. Salato said the online database is very important as it will access vital information on individual seasonal employees that can be used by both governments and farm companies, an instrument that they can use to make their decisions.

Mr. Salato said he is pleased that the New Zealand government had continued to support and strengthen labour mobility in the country and being able to come up with the initiative and also funding it.

"This online database is really important for our Ministry as we will now able to keep closer track on the movements of our seasonal employees working in New Zealand" Mr. Salato said.

Meanwhile Mr. Salato also confirmed that an official from the New Zealand government Ms. Jennie Johnston left the country last week following a visit to Solomon Islands to discuss issues relating to the scheme.

Mr. Salato said she was here to conduct a step by step training of trainers last Wednesday on how to input data that will predetermine every movement made by our local employees.

Two of the Ministry's staff members that attended the training were Mr. Barret Salato and Mr. Daniel Hetherington who is the Trade Policy analyst of the Ministry.


National Express