Japan and Solomon Islands sign fisheries support agreement

FISHERIES and the country’s economy are set to get a boost with Japan’s latest assistance for us.

The Governments of Japan and Solomon Islands have formalised a Grant Aid Agreement to support fisheries development programmes with the signing of documents in Honiara on Friday last week (July 19).

Solomon Islands Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade Jeremiah Manele and Japanese Ambassador to Solomon Islands, HE Shigeru Toyama signed the Agreement in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Fisheries John Maneniaru and senior officials.

The Government of Japan will provide assistance worth 200 million Japanese Yen (approximately 15 million Solomon Islands Dollars) to the Government of Solomon Islands through its Economic Social Development Programme (ESDP).

The funding assistance will enable the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources to procure equipment to support development of fisheries and coastal resources management.

Minister Manele acknowledged the funding assistance saying that the project demonstrated Japan’s long and outstanding relations with Solomon Islands.

“I am thankful to the Government of Japan for your ongoing support towards the development of Solomon Islands,” Mr Manele said.

Ambassador Toyama said the Japanese Government hopes that the equipment which was committed to the project will support not only income generating activities but also good marine resource management and practices for the country.

This assistance followed the National Development Strategy 2016-2035 (NDS) of the Solomon Islands Government.

In the plan, fishery is recognised as a significant potential sector for food security and economic development in the NDS.

On the other hand, Solomon Islands faces several threats such as over-fishing and illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing for marine resource management.

Therefore, the assistance meets demands of the government. In addition, the assistance is in line with the Leaders’ Declaration at eighth (8th) Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM8), which stated that “Maritime Order based on the Rule of Law, and Sustainability of Ocean Resources”, supports Japan’s active and constructive contribution to cooperation and development in Solomon Islands, including through new initiatives such as its “Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy”.

Thus, this assistance is expected to help socioeconomic development through building capacity of fisheries related sectors in the Solomon Islands.

Japan’s Economic Social Development Programme (ESDP) is a type of assistance which is intended to support the socio-economic development efforts, including poverty reduction, of developing countries.

The ESDP has a facility for providing foreign currency for import of goods, machinery and other amenities (industrial materials such as petroleum and steel products etc.) necessary to promote national development efforts of recipient countries.

–GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATION UNIT

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

FINAL call is now issued for candidates contesting the 2019 National General Election (NGE) to file their statement of account as tomorrow is the closing date.

Solomon Islands Electoral Commission (SIEC) in a Press Statement on Thursday revealed that only 100 candidates so far have successfully filed their statement of account out of the 332 contesting this year.

From report, six others also filed their statement of account but they were considered incomplete.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of SIEC Mr Mose Saitala warns those who have not yet filed their statement of account including the six incomplete statements, to do so before 4.30pm tomorrow (July 20), or face prosecution.

According to CEO Saitala, it is a requirement under the electoral law (Section 69 of the Electoral Act 2018) that all candidates, successful and unsuccessful, must file their Statement of Account 90 days after the publication of election results.

“Election results were published on 19th April, therefore the final day for the submission of candidates’ Statement of Account is Saturday, 20th July 2019, 4.30pm.”

SIEC’s CEO said failure to complete and file a Statement of Account in the approved Form provided under Regulation 9A of the Electoral (Amendment) Regulations 2019, carries a penalty of $20,000 or two years imprisonment or both.

“A $100 fine will also be imposed on a daily basis after the lapse of the due date (July 20th), on top of the above penalty, for candidates who failed to meet the deadline.”

“If a candidate wants to reduce the daily $100 fine, they can still submit their statement of account after the due date, but that does not prevent a candidate from prosecution.

“Late submissions only reduce the $100 daily fine according to the number of days the candidate made the late submission, but he/she will still be prosecuted and penalized,” said SIEC’s CEO.

The Chief Electoral Officer in SIEC’s Press Statement urges members of the Government Coalition, Opposition, Independent, political Parties and family members to inform and encourage their colleagues or relatives who contested the recent National General Election, to fulfil this legal obligation.

It is understood that all candidates must file their Statement of Account on the Form approved by the Commission as required under Regulation 9A of the Electoral (Amendment) Regulations 2019 made pursuant to Section 69(2) of the Electoral Act.

This Form is accessible in hard and soft copies from the Office of the CEO.

“The Form requires candidates to make two declarations; a) about funds received and expenses incurred and b) that she/he has not received donation from a foreigner.

“These declarations, contained in the Form, are important because they are related to offences under Sections 125(1) and 125(3) of the Electoral Act.”

Meanwhile, amongst the statements reported by SIEC already handed in, four Members of Parliament (MP) cited to have already submitted their campaign expenses were Minister of Foreign Affairs and MP for Hograno Kia/Havulei Hon Jeremiah Manele, Minister for Traditional Governance and MP for Gao/Bugotu Hon Samuel Manaetoáli, MP for Savo/Rusell Hon Dickson Mua and MP for West New Georgia Vona Vona Hon Silas Tausinga.

“I expect a lot to be streaming in now before Saturday,” says CEO Saitala in an interview with Island Sun.

Government to review constituency boundaries

By Alfred Sasako

THE Government is likely to increase the number of constituencies in the country to 67 – an increase of 17 new seats recommended by the last Constituency Boundaries Commission 11 years ago.

The Democratic Coalition Government for Advancement (DCGA) announced in its First 100 Days in Office Policy Priority Document that it is reviewing the Constituency Boundaries Commission.

Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet would oversee the review, which encompasses the appointments of Constituency Boundaries Commissioners [CBC] who will take views from the people on whether to maintain the number of Constituencies at the current level of 50 or to increase the number.

The last review was undertaken more than 11 years ago. Its report, presented to then Minister of Home Affairs, James Tora, in February 2010, recommended an additional 17 new Constituencies be added to the current 50 constituencies.

Of this, Malaita was to get four, Guadalcanal and Western Provinces three each.

All the other provinces including Honiara will each get an additional constituency, according to the report, which has been gathering dust since February 2010.

Secretary of the Commission, the late John Babalu defended the Commission’s decision to recommend an additional constituency for Renbel province despite it not meeting the criteria on population.

Mr Babalu said then the Commission based its decision on other criteria which includes language and the Province’s relative isolation.

The nation’s population has since grown by almost a third or 200 thousand people, putting a lot more pressure on available of services. But whether increasing the number of constituencies would make a difference, remains to be seen.

In the meantime the Government has made it clear that it wants to see the review of the Constituency Boundaries Commission and the appointments of its commissioners completed within its First 100 Days in Office.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare told a news conference last Friday the Government had 60 days left in which to complete a range of programs identified across sectors and published in its First 100 days in Office Policy Priority Document.

Critics say completing many of the programs identified in the Document remains in doubt.

Tovosia hits back at Axiom and Wale

MINISTER of Mines, Energy & Rural Electrification, Bradley Tovosia has hit back at Axiom Chief Executive Officer Ryan Mount and Opposition Leader, Matthew Wale for accusing him of illegal mining dealings.

Prior to the April 3 National General Elections, Mount accused Tovosia of issuing a Letter of Intent over San Jorge in Isabel to Bintan Mining when he already knew Axiom already has a pending application.

However, Tovosia has defended himself in media saying the decision was made by the Minerals Board.

Tovosia’s war of words with Mount has attracted the attention of Wale, who is the Parliamentary wing leader of Solomon Islands Democratic Party (SIDP).

Wale called on the then Prime Minister to remove Tovosia as Acting Mines Minister for alleged corruption.

He had demanded Tovosia be sacked immediately and a full investigation launched into the allegations.

Speaking in Parliament during the Sine Die motion recently, Tovosia said his name was tarnished before the election by Axiom.

He said he will bring the Mines and Minerals Act to cabinet before tabling in Parliament for amendment to reflect the people’s wish.

Further to that, Tovosia said it’s not good for Wale to call on the Prime Minister to sack him.

He said there was no respect and culture in Wale’s approach to ask the PM to sack him.

Tovosia first entered Parliament in 2010.

Prior to that, he was the Member of Provincial Assembly in Guadalcanal.

Prime Minister Sogavare welcomes Israeli direct foreign investment

PRIME Minister Manasseh Sogavare has welcomed initiatives for an Israeli direct foreign investment into the country.

Sogavare expressed welcome during a courtesy visit made by Israeli investor in the area of Sustainable Energy and Water Processing Plant, David Kalush, President of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Mission Dr Silent Tovosia and Chairman of Mainland Holdings Limited, William Lamur yesterday morning.

Following months of meetings between Mr Kalush and the President of the SDA Mission, the parties have reached arrangements to roll out projects on a 30.2 hectare land owned by the SDA mission at Betikama.

Kalush will invest in an eight megaWatt solar farm and a state of the art Water Processing Plant.

According to the Government’s Policy Secretary of the Production Sector Celsus Talifilu, to allow the projects to maximise the production of Power and Water, a Poultry Processing Factory will also be developed on the land in partnership with Mainland Holdings Limited, Papua new Guinea’s leading company in agribusiness.

Apart from the benefits of the water processing factory and its use of sustainable energy through its proposed solar farm, this Foreign Direct Investment will also be a boost for the economy through employment at the Chicken Processing factory and distribution of the manufactured products.

The Poultry Processing factory will involve egg and meat products and an out growing’s scheme helping farmers to grow birds and eggs that will be supplied to the processing factory

The Prime Minister further reiterated that the Government will continue to support the discussions and provide assistance to ensure the investment takes off the ground.

This Israel, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea initiative will be a first major commercial joint venture to roll out in the country.

–OPMC press

Relations with the Superpower to be revived with return of the US Peace Corps

By EDDIE OSIFELO

ABOUT 40-45 Peace Corps volunteers are expected to arrive in Honiara from the United States in July.

This is part of the US move to revive the Peace Corps programme here after 50 of them left the country during the ethnic conflict from 1998-2003.

In the past, the Peace Corps focussed on health and education in the communities as volunteers.

United States Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, Catherine Ebert-Gray told media in Honiara yesterday they expect the government to identify which places these volunteers will serve in.

She said they may focus on environment, education and health.

Ambassador Ebert-Gray and Jennifer Spande, Deputy Director of Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands based in Washington, have met with the Japanese Ambassador in Honiara and discussed how Japan supports its volunteers here.

She said Solomon Islands is a safe place for volunteers to work.

“Volunteers who served in Solomon Islands have shared their enduring stories of Solomon Islands,” she added.

Currently, nearly 7,000 Peace Corps volunteers are working in 76 countries to bring clean water to communities, teach children, protect the environment, help start new businesses, and prevent the spread of AIDS. Since 1961, more than 155,000 Americans have joined the Peace Corps, serving in 134 nations.