THE Public Accounts Committee hearing into the 2018 Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2018 ended successfully yesterday.

It took four days for the PAC to hear from 16 government ministries and agencies who are requesting additional funds or supplementary appropriation for the year ending December 31, 2018.

The 2018 Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2018 is the eleventh bill of 2018 and it seeks to appropriate an additional two hundred and twenty five million, nine hundred and sixty two thousand, and six hundred and seventy three dollars ($225,962,673) from the Consolidated Fund for the financial year ending December 31, 2018.

Just to give a brief overview from the additional Supplementary expenditure, a total of twelve ministries are requesting additional funding which total up to Two hundred million, one hundred thousand, and five hundred and thirty six dollars ($200,100,536).

Of that amount forty three million, six hundred and twenty seven thousand, one hundred and sixty four dollars ($43,627,164) will be for recurrent expenditure while one hundred and fifty six million, four hundred and seventy three thousand, three hundred and seventy two dollars ($156,473,372) for development expenditure.

Four ministries have been requesting additional supplementary expenditure for both recurrent and development spending. These include the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, Ministry of Communication and Aviation and the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources.

On Contingency Warrant, only the National Judiciary is requesting one million, three hundred and forty two thousand, nine hundred and seven dollars ($1,342,907) while eight ministries are requesting appropriations using Advance Warrants which totaled up to twenty four million, five hundred and nineteen thousand, two hundred and thirty dollars ($24, 519,230).

Five out of the sixteen ministries have requested the largest amount in their supplementary appropriations. They are Ministry of Infrastructure Development $112,427,008, Ministry of Finance and Treasury $20,334,446, Ministry of Health and Medical Services $17,706,306, Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development $14,452,809 and the Ministry of Home Affairs $12,488,680.

The remaining eleven Ministries supplementary appropriations are totaling up to forty eight million, five hundred and fifty three, six hundred and ninety four dollars ($48,553,694).

In terms of variations in expenditure, there is a reduction of three million, five hundred and nineteen thousand, nine hundred dollars ($3,519,900) from what was appropriated in the 2018 Appropriation Act 2018 for the Ministry of Health and Medical Services. This amount is transferred to the Health Lifestyles Promotion Fund that is managed under the Tobacco Control Act 2010 by the ministry.

Another transfer of six million dollars ($6,000,000) which was appropriated in the 2018 Appropriation Act to the Ministry of Home Affairs is now transferred to the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet for the preparation of the 2023 Pacific Games.

All in all, Supplementary Appropriations which includes Additional Supplementary Expenditure , and expenditure using Contingency Warrant and the Advance Warrant totals up to two hundred and twenty five million, nine hundred and sixty two thousand, and six hundred and seventy three dollars ($225,962,673) for the year ending 31st December 2018.

The Ministries or agencies that have appeared before the PAC during the four days hearing include the Central Bank of Solomon Islands, Ministry of Finance and Treasury, Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Ministry of Infrastructure Development, Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development, Ministry of Communication and Aviation, Ministry of Commerce, Industries, Labor and Immigration, Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs, National Judiciary, Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Ministry of Public Service, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade.

A report containing the PAC’s recommendations from the hearing will be compiled later for Members of Parliament to prepare them in their second reading debate of the Bill when Parliament resumes on Wednesday, August 22, 2018.

You can access the copy of the 2018 Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2018 on our website for more details.

–PARLIAMENT MEDIA

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

AUKI

THE Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry has conducted a one-day business training in Auki yesterday.

The training had been scheduled for Wednesday but was postponed for yesterday due to a public holiday set aside on Wednesday to mark the Malaita province 34th anniversary.

A business consultant from Break Fruit Consultant, Mr Chris Elphick said in an interview earlier this week that the training is part of SICCI’s programme to support small businesses in the provinces.

Adding that SICCI has identified that people get into business, but having basic knowledge and skill to manage the business was a problem.

He said the programme is all about the Chamber with interest of finding ways to support smalls businesses. In Honiara in terms of big businesses.

“Three months ago I came here, and our focus on business planning. This time we focus on the basics to run a good business.

“The basics include having a good product, service, good enterprises, satisfying the customers, getting the best staffs and organizing the money,” Elphick said.

He stressed that money management was an important aspect of business to ensure it will not run into debt but to make profit.

Elphick said SICCI has already gone to Western province with the training, now its Malaita province and the next is Makira Ulawa Province.

He said the three provinces are under SICCI’s programme for this year; they will work on programme to reach other provinces next year.

BY GEORGINA KEKEA

IN the tourism sector, following on from May 2018, there has been an 8.21 percent upswing in international visitation. Juergen T Steinmetz reports in eTurbonews that Solomon Islands has rounded of Quarter Two in style with June 2018 visitor arrivals growing by 8.0 percent over the same period last year.

Tourism Solomons CEO, Josefa ‘Jo’ Tuamoto was reported to say that if this strong trend continued for the remaining six months of the year, and forward bookings to the destination already indicate they will, the destination was well on track to cracking the record-breaking 25,709 total achieved in 2017.

Figures released by the Solomon Islands National Statistics Office (SINSO) show May-June figures taking the Solomon Islands visitor intake for the January-June period to 13, 317, a 17 per cent increase over the 11,306 figure recorded in 2017.

Australian visitation for the six-month period climbed to 4664 representing 35 per cent of the total and buoyed by a 2.48 per cent increase across June for the month.

Steinmetz reports that the biggest increases across June again came from Papua New Guinea (up 40.5 per cent), New Zealand (17.8 per cent) and the US (up 16.1 per cent).

CEO Tuamoto said the strong Quarter Two result was indicative of some very hard work by his team in the latter stages of 2017.

“From a promotional perspective we have been relatively quiet in the first half of 2018,” he said.

“But we are confident the inroads we continue to make in our key markets in combination with profile achieved as a result of our new ‘Solomon Is.’ rebranding and related new strategic direction will have a marked effect on our visitation across Quarter Three and Quarter Four.

By Ezekiel Talatau

MINISTRY of tourism and culture, moves to sets a minimum standard accommodation for tourism sectors industry in Solomon Islands.

The move of this minimum standard accommodation is a major step in the direction of tourism and it is a time for Solomon Islands to go into the international tourism stage and marketing, said Solomon Islands tourism industry CEO Mr Osefa “Jo” Tuamoto.

The minimum accommodation will be classified into 8 categories to meet the international standard.

To date, about 160 accommodation are been operated here in Solomon Islands and only 10 percent can be currently sold through international wholesale, offering Solomon island travel package.

The ministry of culture and tourism (MCT) Director Bunyan Sivoro, said that, the increase tourism is a national interest and it is a main benefactors that would eventually be the tourism operator themselves.

He added that the newly introduce accommodation scheme will significant upsurge tourism industry as a new chapter.

Minister of MCT, Hon. Bartholomew Parapolo during the launching at Honiara Heritage Park Hotel has said that, the implementing of such projects is essential in tourism sectors and I believe that, this project will set an international standard towards the tourism accommodation sectors

MCT director also highlights the influence of Australia foreign affairs and Trade DFAT enhance integrated network for their provision towards the project through financial support.

MCT also acknowledge the Australian volunteers through (DFAT) to take part in promoting and providing technical input to finalize the documents.

BY LYNTON AARON FILIA

WITH full government support, the national tourism office of Solomon Islands is active both domestically and internationally and is playing a major role in the country’s economic future.

According to Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau, tourism is seen as an economic saviour for the country.

Solomon Islands is one of the top six sources of foreign exchange and government record highlights tourism becoming a top-two source of foreign exchange within the next five-ten years.

Priority is now being placed on tourism development and an effort is being taken to facilitate growth under the country’s national tourism policy as well as bring focus to bear on upgrading tourism accommodation and product.

New constructs in 2017 included the Coral Sea Resort & Casino in Honiara and Ginger Beach Resort a short drive from the capital, SIVB said.

Development of the extremely lucrative cruise sector remains a key focal area of the strategy and one which the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Tourism Solomons have aggressively developed in partnership with Carnival Australia and P&O Cruises.

With the Solomon Islands, traditional economic bases – particularly the mining and timber industries moving into ‘sunset’ mode, tourism is set to play a major role in the Solomon Islands’ ongoing economic fortunes.

SIVB said, having a fully-supportive government and proactive national carrier are critical to the Solomon Islands tourism sector achieving its objectives.

It said currently tourism accounts for SBD447,000 (approx USD60,702,600)—Source, Central Bank of the Solomon Islands.

The current other main exports for the country are as follows:

• Timber – valued at USD149, 536.29 million.
• Crude palm oil – valued at USD21, 258.08 million.
• Cocoa beans, whole or broken, raw or roasted – valued at USD11, 357.09 million.
• Copra – valued at USD9, 288.09 million.
• Crude palm kernel or babassu oil and fractions – valued at USD7, 825.72 million—source – Pacific Islands Trade & Investment.

“Tourism Solomons is hopeful more accommodation will come on line as the country approaches the 2023 staging of the Pacific Games which will see big infrastructure development in and around Honiara,” SIVB said.