Landcruiser being tendered by MID already sold by Tingoa police officers months ago
BY ALFRED PAGEPITU
A landcruiser which is being tendered by the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) is reportedly “already sold by officers of Tingoa police station”.
The AB1530 Toyota Landcruiser 78 Series, tendered as Item No. 1, at Tingoa station, and described as ‘idle’ was sold months ago for $15,000 by a senior constable of Tingoa police station.
An elder of Tingoa community, requesting anonymity, confirmed this to Island Sun, saying the vehicle was sold to a member of his family.
This means MID is tendering out vehicles which are not available, hence interested bidders will be fooled into applying to buy it.
An MID official answering enquiries on condition of anonymity, says MID is innocent in this issue, since they have been assured by the RSIPF that the landcruiser in question was sitting idle in Tingoa police station.
“RSIPF did not tell us that that particular vehicle has already been sold. It maybe that the Rove HQ are not aware of what their own officers are doing out there in Renbel province.
“MID has no fault in this issue … we simply put in the items which various government offices submit in for tendering. Check with RSIPF, they are answerable for their own mess.”
And, questions are being asked where that purported $15,000 has gone to; has it gone to the police, national treasury or to that constable’s pockets?
“When I saw the advertisement on the Island Sun Newspaper last week, I recognised that particular vehicle because it had been sold to a cousin brother of mine for $15,000,” says the Tingoa community chief.
Island Sun has been following up with the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) regarding a list of allegations against corrupt policing in Rennell and Bellona province, an issue which has been ongoing for more than two years.
Police Media Unit reacted by questioning Island Sun’s source of information, rather than being concerned about the issue at hand.
“I see you did not have the name of the complainant. How can I be sure that the allegations came from someone in Renbel and not just some disgruntled police officer who had served in Renbel but got removed because of disciplinary issues. I am just making sure that Island Sun is not being used in this instance.”
A day later, Police Media released a blunt response saying they will investigate the allegations.
“RSIPF welcomes any criticism of how it delivers its services to the people of this nation. However, the criticism must be substantiated with evidence.
“For this reason the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Provincial has been tasked to investigate the allegations of abuse of office, misuse of assets and lack of policing in Renbel Province made by the unnamed person to the Island Sun newspaper. The ACP will report to the Commissioner of Police as soon as possible.”
PUBLIC are expected to dig deeper into their own pockets when the new import duty of 20 cent per kilogram of rice and a good tax of five percent added as of September 1.
At the moment the price of 20kg white rice varies from shop to shop at the minimum price of $155 while the minimum price of 10kg rice is $82.
If the new import duty on white rice comes into effect on September 1, it means the new import duty for 20kg will be $4 and the goods tax will be $7.75 which is total up to $11.75.
This means the new price of 20kg white rice our main staple food will increase to $166.75 while 10kg will increase to $93.75.
If the shop owner don’t control the price with their mark-up prices the price will be skyrocketing.
For rural villages the price will even go higher.
The Ministry of Finance and Treasury in a letter issued on 22 August advice that the cabinet during its meeting held on 22 July 2019 has approved the proposal to implement a new tax on white rice commencing 1st of September.
This will introduce a levy of $0.20 per kg as import duty and goods tax of 5 percent.
This policy is part of the ongoing fiscal measures to help target better health outcomes in the country, particularly aimed at reducing the prevalence of non-communicable diseases which are evidently increasing as should by our national records.
While it is good for our health the price of rice, a staple part of the diet in the country will increase dramatically.
This will affect all communities as we know people are struggling to meet costs to feed their family.
GOVERNMENT has approved the proposal to implement a new tax on white rice commencing September 1.
According to a letter from McKinnie Dentana, permanent secretary of Ministry of Finance and Treasury, cabinet agreed in their meeting on July 22 to introduce a levy of $0.20 per Kg as import duty and goods tax of five percent.
Dentana said this policy is part of the opening fiscal measures to help target better health outcomes in the country, particularly aimed at reducing prevalence of non-communicable diseases which are evidently increasing as shown by our national health records.
Further to that, former Minister of Finance and now Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare told media last year that the longer term strategy is to shift the country’s population to the alternatives and chose brown rice instead of white rice.
Sogavare said a bag of brown rice costs about $600 compared to a bag of 30kg white rice which costs only $200.
However he said the easiest option is for the people to shift to local dietaries so that they need not to buy rice.
Island Sun contacted Solraise Ltd to get their bosses to comment on the new import tax but they left the office to attend another engagement.
Solomon Islands has become one of the highest rice consuming country in the region.
Statistics in 2014 shows that one person consumed 100 kg of rice.
The country rice imports stood at approximately 51,888 tonnes at the end of 2013, 31 percent higher than 2012 imported volumes of 39,467 tonnes.
In terms of value, rice import value amounted to around SBD$270 million at the end of 2013 compared to SBD $222 million in 2012.
Member of Parliament for Gao/Bughotu, Samuel Manetoali
BY JENNIFER KUSAPA
THE Member of Parliament for Gao-Bugotu Constituency Samuel Eaney Manetoali has been acquitted of all 18 counts of conversion after the presiding Principal Magistrate Fatimah Taeburi ruled that there was no sufficient evidence to support the prosecution’s case on the charges.
Mr Manetoali was acquitted on the ‘no case to answer’ stage and now is a free man.
On Friday last week defence lawyer Leslie Kwaiga submitted a ‘no case to answer’ submission on the grounds of insufficient evidence.
Magistrate Taeburi ruled that the prosecution should prove beyond reasonable doubt but on this case there were no evidence to prove that Mr Manetoali had convert the sum of $100,000 for his own use.
It was alleged that around mid-December 2014, the newly elected DCC Government made a Cabinet decision to advance a grant of $100,000 to each of the 50 constituencies.
It was alleged that on December 24, the amount of $100,000 was paid to Gao/Bugotu Constituency through SIG ANZ cheque and was processed by the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD).
This cash cheque payment was allegedly paid to the Gao/Bugotu Constituency.
It was further alleged that Manetoali signed out the cheque at MRD on 24 December 2014 and handed it to his CDO at that time.
His CDO cashed the cheque and handed $100,000 to the accused who then on 25 December 2014, allegedly spent the money for a Christmas party which was held at his then Lengakiki residence.
Office of the Director Public Prosecution appears for the crown on the case while L & L lawyers represent the accused.
WESTERN Province Premier David Gina says the government has nothing to hide regarding a proposed provincial ministerial trip to Malaysia.
He made the clarification in an exclusive interview with Island Sun via phone last week.
“My executives have nothing to keep secret to this mission to Malaysia and even my government is not responsible to fund this trip.
“This field trip is not political interest and nothing to do with the provincial government and the people in the province to do a secret mission in Malaysia.”
He explained that a Malaysian investor had approached his government with the proposal to send a delegation over to Malaysia to show them its capacity.
“My entire executive is aware of this trip including the outgoing Minister of Planning and nothing is secret,” said Gina.
He emphasises that the purpose of the trip is to prove what the company is doing in Malaysia in terms of Agriculture.
Gina said the field trip is not yet confirmed but the outcome of the trip will be made known to the public so that people will know what is going on in the province.
The outgoing Minister for Planning and MPA for Ward 9 Dovele, Jennings Movobule, in his response to Island Sun describes the trip as “secret till he caught up with Gideon Tuke and the two MPAs prior to their travel”.
“They try to hide the trip until I myself find out. All alone the Malaysian Company was keeping in touch only with few for their plan to harvest mile 6 and a portion in Kolobangara.”
However, he said nothing personal is going between him and the Premier or those who are dealing with the company “but I feel that this approach is not transparent”.
He said Western Province Investment Corporation (WPIC) issue which was hijacked to deny the rights of the people to have a genuine buyer for the copra is a great concern.
“There are people within Western Province Investment Corporation (WPIC) that are using WPIC for their personal gain. For sometimes now WPIC never provide any report and was never even audited too which has a high risk to transparency.
“WPIC has not been serving its full purpose except it was used by those closer in the circle.”
Meanwhile, Movobule asks the executive to explain to the people especially (farmers) who are running the copra at Noro hiding behind WPIC, as copra is not a reserved business.
Salt water invades Sokopiu area in the West Bugotu District in Isabel Province. Solomon Islands.
BY ALFRED PAGEPTU
Salt water invades Sokopiu area in the West Bugotu District in Isabel Province. Solomon Islands.
SEA level is rising, while storms are intensifying and seasons are becoming unpredictable.
Salt water can reach the lower areas where villagers live and now they have lost trees and coconut trees that supported the coastline.
The sea level rises in the Ysabel Province add to major concerns over the impact of climate change on villagers’ lives in the island.
Santa Ysabel Island is today usually known as Isabel Island. It lies west of Malaita, north of Guadalcanal, east of the New Georgia Islands and south of Choiseul.
Isabel Island is the largest island in what is now Isabel Province, with San Jorge a substantial contiguous island in the south and several smaller islands extending out around Kia in the north.
The salt water never stops moving, waves roll in and recede and the tides keep rising and continue to move closer to the coastline.
Island Sun witnessed firsthand the significant amount of threat that sea level rise, due to climate change has taken the beautiful shores of other parts of Isabel several meters above the ground.
But for some communities that have long lived in harmony with nature, even more subtle climatic changes have profound consequences.
I was in West Bugotu District in the Isabel recently and asked Lot Togasania from Sepi Village over the impact of climate change on villagers’ lives as he witnessed the impacts of the changing climate daily.
“Before, we used to know the seasons, but now the wind, the rain; the cyclones can come at any time. We don’t know when.” Mr Lot says. “Cyclones always used to come when the wind was from the south and west wind, now they come even when the wind is from the east.”
He said Climate change has not only affected the weather, it has affected everything, the people, the sea, the land, even the food we eat has changed and people’s lives have already changed so much.
“Storms now can happen any day and come very quickly,” he says. In July 2015, Cyclone Raquel became the first cyclone on record to hit the South Pacific Ocean in July. It caught Solomon Islanders by surprise and left many villages devastated.
Mr Togasania who resides at Sokopiu passage in the West Bugotu said the people fear what the future might hold.
“We felt that our small islands and shoreline were affected due to sea level rise, and the question begging answers is what it would be like in the future if we are not prepared to withstand its consequences,” Togasana said.
He said many different types of changes always happen daily, but one of the changes is sea level rise which causes more drastic changes that continue to affecting our island.
Togasana said salt water can reach the lower areas where they live resulting in loss of trees that support their coastline.
He said the daily changes usually occur after strong winds, tides, and currents movement. He said before the cyclone, the shoreline was about four meters away from its current position.
The only options he thinks is to plant mangrove trees to support the coastline when sea level rise occurs.
“Ocean never stops moving closer, it continues to eat the shoreline.
“As waves reach further in our shore, it kills the vegetation that holds the ground along the shoreline including coconut trees”. he added.
“Maybe not soon enough this rapid change would destroy our coastal communities”, said Togasana.
He said the sea is beginning to cover their main shoreline and coming closer to where they live.
“If you look over to our coastline, first the sea reaches about more than four meters away from this current shoreline, this is similar to other villages that leave close to the sea”.
“We are planning to build sea wall using stones so that we can protect our trees and most especially our homes”.
The changes are now obvious at Bugotu District and the sea comes much higher to the island than before so the communities are worried that this is like a time bomb, due to the small size of their island.
“We love our home so much, but if nothing is done to protect our island, who knows what is going to happen in the future.
“This is where we call home since our childhood days. My great grandfathers have left us here so this is our village,” he said.
“We ask the responsible authorities to teach us how we can adapt to this global environmental threat, climate change.
Meanwhile, a new study of the Environmental Research, sea-level rise and coastal erosion have already claimed five reef islands in the country, who knows what will happen to other communities within Isabel in the future.
The study, carried out by a team of Australian researchers, provides the first scientific evidence that confirms numerous anecdotal accounts of extreme shoreline changes put forward by scientists and local inhabitants across all provinces of the Solomon Islands.
This has put Solomon Islands, which support a population of roughly 560,000 people, at a much greater risk of inundation due to climate change-induced sea level rise.
When this paper asked about the climate change to the rural populace, they replied we heard about climate change but we didn’t understand how climate change affects our island.
He said villagers are worried for their future generation and most communities within Bugotu District are now experiencing sea level rise and changing weather patterns that contribute to climate change in the rural community.
They are calling on responsible authorities to do more awareness program, based on climate change to educate the rural populace.
Climate change affects all of us, and it is up to all of us to take action to ensure a healthy planet for generations to come.
Today if you happen to visit Isabel Province, you will notice a lot of drastic changes affecting the island.
A woman who allegedly stole more than $90,000 from her employer, the CDL Company Limited, will appear again today after the case was adjourned.
The allegation said that the accused, Elizabeth Tara, was a sales officer at the CDL Company since 2007.
Police alleged that in the month of June 2019 the company received complaints from some people that the accused usually spent huge amounts of money, and after receiving the report the company made some checks and balances on the company’s record and it shows that the CDL Company has encountered huge loss on their account records.
The CDL management then made enquiries and around $99,950 SBD had been lost.
Police said CDL company usually purchase mill run bags from Global Vision Company Limited and the reconciliation done on their accounts shows that 1999 bags of mill run were lost.
The company made further enquiries with the Global Vision which revealed that some vehicles always went directly to them to collect the mill run authorized by the accused Elizabeth Tara.
On June 2, 2019 a vehicle went to the Delite industries for picking up of 50 bags of mill run without order forms, it was at time the accused was caught and admitted to the CDL Company that she used to steal from the company since 2017.
The matter was then reported to the police in which the accused was questioned and charged for the alleged offence.
Police Prosecutor Iete Tebakota prosecutes the case in court.
The retainer wall erected by Fangs, opposite Mokolo building. PHOTO SUPPLIED
BY BARNABAS MANEBONA
FANGS Corporation has paid $10,000 fine to the Honiara City Council (HCC) for their ‘wharf’ built opposite the Mokolo Building at the Mataniko riverbank.
Confirming payment of fine was HCC’s Cashier Unit yesterday saying that payment was done on Monday afternoon this week by Fangs Corporation, after going through consultation with HCC’s Planning Unit and pointing out for them that they should have a permit to do such construction.
HCC’s Chief Planning Officer (CPO) could not be reached for comments yesterday however according to the HCC Cashier Unit, such construction by business houses should be consulted first with their Planning Unit and should be approved before a permit is given out for them to continue with their developments.
“For Fangs Corporation, this was not the case seeing them coming to us to pay for the fine after having consultation with our Planning Unit.
“From such situation, we advise in reminding businesses in Honiara wanting to do such operation to must go through our HCC’s Planning Unit first,” said HCC’s Cashier Unit.
The ‘wharf’ built by Fangs Corporation on the Mataniko riverbank opposite the Mokolo building was recently highlighted in the media for posing a huge risk for the Lord Howe settlement and the general public.
Although it is aimed as a retainer wall to protect Fangs’ building, it can also be used as a docking point for OBMs and canoes on which an engineer recently speaking to Island Sun said that its orientation will divert water flow to the houses on the other side of the river.
However, a worker of Fangs Corporation on the other hand also answering questions by this paper recently on condition of anonymity insists that since the retailer wall is near the river mouth, the force of the river will not be strong enough to do much damage as many fear.
“What is being said on Facebook YTTF by some commentators is just speculation of what they think might happen, but this is not so.
“Our engineers have studied the area and have done their calculations on the various levels of the water when it floods and have built the wall to where it is. We could have extended it out further but that would then cause the risk to the other side of the river.
“Our engineers calculate that 10 metres out into the river is enough to protect our building and at the same time not divert much water to the other side of the river. So there is no need to fear and ‘talk spoil’ Fangs.
“We are also worried for the safety of our building too!” the insider says.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Malaita Outer Islands, Hon Martin Kealoe, is also understood to had voiced out concern over Fangs’ retainer wall, calling on responsible authorities to explain the ‘rationale’ behind allowing Fangs to build it.
Mr Kealoe said, “The way the wall is being constructed leaves the Lord Howe settlement which is at the river mouth, clearly exposed to the full force of the river if it floods again in the near future.
“We have already seen what the river can do when it floods and my people who live in the Lord Howe settlement had always suffered from these floods in the past.
“It is not only from damage to private property that my people are concerned about but, also from health risks posed by the rubbish from upstream which by and large ends up on our beach front. Now with this new wall in place, things look to only get worse for my people.
“I therefore call on the responsible authorities to explain the considerations given if any, when approval was granted for this wall to be constructed and if no permit was given, what these authorities will do to ensure the safety of my people.
“My understanding is that river waters are provided for under the River Waters Act [Cap 135]. Under this law, the responsible Minister must issue a permit for the construction of anything that will affect the flow of water.
“With the experience we have had with the Mataniko River in the past, my people are entitled to know if any consideration has been given at all to their safety.
“I am going to be taking this matter up with the responsible authorities to get to the bottom of it as it can be a matter of life and death for my people,” said Kealoe.
In the popular Facebook forum, YTTF, many concerned members share their bafflement over the retainer wall, questioning why it was even allowed by authorities to be built in the first place.
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and HE Oliver Liao with the handover documents for the RSCD funding. PHOTO SUPPLIED
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and HE Oliver Liao with the handover documents for the RSCD funding. PHOTO SUPPLIED
PRIME Minister Manasseh Sogavare has received a total of USD$2.95 million from the Ambassador-designate of the Republic of China- Taiwan to Solomon Islands, His Excellency Oliver Liao.
The breakdown of the funds are as follows;
A total of SBD$20 Million (USD$2, 452,000) for the 2019 RSCD Social Economic Development Project funding for 50 constituencies;
A total of SBD$4.08 Million (USD$ 500,000) for support towards the 2019 National Population and Housing Census.
During a low-key ceremony at the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet yesterday morning, the Prime Minister conveys his gratitude to the people and government of Taiwan for their continuous support towards the development aspirations of the Solomon Islands.
He further acknowledged the relationship shared between the two countries since 1978.
The handover programme was witnessed by officials from the ROC- Taiwan Embassy in Honiara and the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
LEADER of Opposition, Matthew Wale urges the Pacific Island Countries to work with Australia and China to reduce climate.
Wale raised this call in Parliament yesterday after PIC could not come up with an ambitious climate action as a result of Australia’s refusal to cut down on coal mining during the recent 50th Pacific Islands Forum in Tuvalu.
“If we, the region with the most vulnerable, the least contributors of emissions, the weakest to meet the costs associated with action, cannot agree to be ambitious on climate action – how can we expect ambition from other countries in the world,” he said.
Wale said Temotu Pele will be wiped out at some stage in not too distant future.
“So will 90 percent of Aoke Langalanga, Malaita Outer Islands, Kwai & Ngongosila, Walande & Fanalei, much of Santa Ana, most of the Marovo lagoon, Roviana lagoon, Taro Island, Wagina, to name a few of our communities that will for certain be faced with the need to relocate to higher ground.
“These are the vulnerable communities in Solomon Islands who expect leadership on climate action from PIF leaders,” he said.
Wale said clearly, Solomon Islands is not exempt from the effects of climate change and sea level rise.
“It is from this context that I must express my disappointment with the lack of ambition in the communique issued by the Leaders,” he said.
Wale noted the position Australia took in those discussions made it difficult to arrive at an ambitious statement on climate action.
“As climate change and sea level rise are existential threats to us in the Pacific Islands, there must be other ways to work in international fora to seek consensus on ambitious climate action.
“Australia’s emissions contribution is only 1%. But this is not the issue for PICs,” he said.
Wale said it is important that all PICs work strategically with Australia to seek a change in the use of carry over credits.
He said Australia’s carry over credits cannot pass off as ambitious targets.
“Australia’s carry over credits represent 8 years of emissions by NZ and all PICs combined.
“No other developed country is using those. In fact, all other countries accept that carry over credits under Kyoto are a loop hole in the Paris Agreement.”
Wale said PICs must persuade Australia to take the same line.
He said the consequences for them are existential.
Wale said almost all of Australia’s coal is exported to China.
“Although we note the positive remarks made by China at the PIF meeting that it will work with PICs in climate action, we know that China continues to export and build coal fired power plants throughout the world.
“China’s emissions are 28 percent, followed by the US at 15 percent, India at six percent, Russia at five percent Japan four percent and so on, “he said.
Wale said PICs must be proactively working with all these countries to encourage ambition.
“The consequences for us are certain. China’s track record calls into question the sincerity of its statement.
“But the PICs must work with China,” he said.
Wale said u unfortunately, Solomon Islands’ sustained policy of deforestation over so many years mitigate our calls for ambitious climate action.
“This is a matter we ought to be ashamed of,” he said.
