Home Blog Page 1276

Equipping whistleblowers with relevant laws vital for implementation of Anti-Corruption Act: Wale

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0
The Aoke/Langalanga MP, Matthew Wale

By Gary Hatigeva

The Aoke/Langalanga MP and BLC Chair, Matthew Wale in Parliament during Monday’s debates, cautioning the
government of the need to see Whistleblowers are guided and groomed to take take up responsibilities as party implementers to the Anti-Corruption Act.

MEMBER of Parliament for Aoke/Langalanga and Chairman of the Bills and Legislation Committee (BLC), Matthew Wale has urged for the government to see that those charged with the responsibility to be whistleblowers, are properly equipped with laws and regulations that are relevant to the purpose of reporting acts or related matters to corruption.

This the Aoke/Langalanga MP highlighted when contributing to the debate session of the Whistleblowers Protection Bill 2016, currently being before parliament for deliberation.

With the call for equipping of whistleblowers, Wale said this should include thorough trainings and awareness in the context of Solomon Islands constitution, to relevant acts, to regulations and ordinances, and organisations’ structural policies.

He said the call is a matter that the government must take into serious consideration as it is evidently clear that a lot in government ministries do not have a clue of most or all the laws and regulations governing the system.

He said over the years, during inquiries into various standing committees of parliament, he has been very impressed with what he described as, “the lack of in-depth in the knowledge of many senior public officers about their responsibilities under the constitution and the various laws charged to their departments”.

“In each ministry sir, it is very important for all officers to have an in-depth knowledge of all the laws and regulations they are tasked with implementing.

“When an officer is transferred to another ministry, Mr Speaker, it is important that that particular officer undergo training to quip him or her with in-depth knowledge of the laws that the new ministry he or she moves go and is also charged with implementing,” the Aoke/Lanagalanga MP pointed out.

He added that a Whistleblower is supposedly a person within an organisation or agency with knowledge of illegal, unethical or corrupt conduct in that agency and is willing to expose that conduct, and such a person has a higher loyalty to the constitution, the laws, the values to public trust and principals that government is founded on.

“It is important that there’s training so that public officers better understand the constitution, the laws, the mechanism and process and the boundaries that must b respected in their particular government agency.

“So it is also important that all public officials are trained to understand, respect and protect the public trust placed in government.

“The whistle blowers higher loyalty, Mr Speaker is to the public’s trust in government,” the BLC Chair reiterated.

Wale further added this higher loyalty demands that when those possessing and exercising government, and public office and statutory powers, when they abuse, misuse or otherwise misdirect such powers, that such conduct is reported to law enforcement for investigation and prosecution.

He further pointed out and stressed that by equipping the mandatory or authorised whistleblowers with thorough training, or training, it should be able to give them thorough knowledge of applicable laws.

He then highlighted that in this way, public officers will be more likely to see clearly when breaches occur, and then are able to report them, and that he said, makes good governance and effective laws, especially with the Anti-Corruption Act, which aims to help the country fight corruption head on.

The Whistleblowers Protection Bill 2016 was laid on the floor for debates yesterday and resorted into the Committee of the Whole House, but committee proceedings were suspended and Parliament was adjourned.

Parliament according to its provisional order paper, will resume this morning with a Question and Answer Session before going straight into a highly anticipated, whole day of committee proceedings of the Bill.

The house is also expected to receive the second reading of the Strata Titles Bill, which the government is hoping to have it debated, laid before the Committee of the Whole House, and put for its third reading by Thursday.

Traffic offences in Honiara decrease over a week

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0

TRAFFIC offences recorded in Honiara have decreased to 21 cases from July 20 to 26, 2018.

This is compared to 77 cases during the previous week.

“It’s good to see that traffic incidences decreased from the previous week recording a decrease of 56 cases,” says Director National Traffic Department, Inspector Brian Surimalefo.

“Apart from other offences careless driving seems to be an issue here. For this reporting week we have charged eight offenders for careless driving.

“We are starting to experience drivers driving too fast given the good road conditions. I urge vehicle drivers to drive with care and with safety.

“We will continue to carry out our duties on our roads, and I want to remind the general public to continue to work together with us.

“Abide by our traffic laws, they are imposed to safe guard us. By doing this we will have safer roads for our communities.”

–POLICE MEDIA

Australia supports SIG upgrade financial management system

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0

AUSTRALIA is supporting the Solomon Islands Government in a SBD16.6 million upgrade of its Financial Management Information System.

Australia funded the initial roll-out of the Financial Information Management System in 2011 which has led to significant improvements in the delivery of government services.

This includes the automation of payment and financial reporting processes, and more timely access to accurate financial information for the Ministry of Finance and Treasury and line ministries.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and Treasury, Manasseh Sogavare said, “We are grateful to Australia’s ongoing support to strengthening public financial management.

“The upgrade will bring much needed improvement to government business processes across whole of government which will lead to improved service delivery.”

Upgrading the Financial Management Information System will have many benefits for a range of Solomon Islanders.

The upgraded system will be designed to meet the government’s financial business processes and help to automate and improve the efficiency of these processes.

It will also make financial information more readily available to line ministries, and be more secure and user friendly.

The upgraded system will improve interface with other SIG information management systems such as Customs asycuda and Inland Revenue management system and transport management system.

This integration will allow for quicker processing times for customers.

The Australian High Commissioner, his Excellency Roderick Brazier noted ‘we’re happy to support this project as it fits with the Australian Aid programmes’ support to public financial management and will enable the government to more effectively deliver services to all stakeholders.

The project will be implemented over three years, with the upgraded system to go live in 2020.

–SIG, AUSAID JOINT PRESS

IMF concerned with lack of transparency over CDF

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0
IMF team leader Mrs Alison Stuart

BY MIKE PUIA

IMF team leader Mrs Alison Stuart

THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) has expressed concern over the lack of transparency around the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

This is the second time the IMF raised concern about the fund, largely contributed to by the Republic of China (Taiwan).

A team from the IMF has been in the country holding discussions on the 2018 Article IV Consultation.

Announcing some of their key finding, team leader Mrs Alison Stuart, said what the CDF is spent on and how well this fund is spent is not clear to the people.

Stuart said while it is important that this fund helps rural areas, it’s hard to know how effective it is being used.

She said greater transparency of the CDF would improve accountability and help identify remaining gaps in the provision of services to the rural areas.

Stuart encourages the government to follow principles that are already set out by the Commonwealth.

Among other things, these principles include transparency of fund and accounting for how the fund is used.

She said following Commonwealth principles can help everyone to understand if this fund is utilised well.

Stuart said this will help provincial, national and donors to see what level in the service provision gap that needs to be filled.

“Since there is no transparency in this fund and so it is difficult to see how fund is used,” Stuart said.

She said if there is transparency, issues around how funds are used can be alleviated.

CDF is used in other economy. It is an alternative method of delivering services to rural areas. This fund is higher than what goes through the provincial government.

Stuart said the CDF Act needs to be passed in parliament so as to help address some of the issues around this fund.

Illegal card games to be banned in West  

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0

BY ALFRED PAGEPITU
GIZO

THE newly formed provincial government of the Western province is proving it’s here to act and not merely talk, with its latest announcement that illegal card games will be banned across all ‘government controlled areas’ in the province.

The law comes into effect tomorrow, August 1, 2018.

This decision hits hard for many who are engaged in the practice, which is usually disguised as fundraising activities.

This includes Korovou in the Shortland Islands, Gizo, Ringi, Poetete, Noro, Munda and Seghe.

Western provincial secretary Jeffery Wickham told Island Sun Gizo yesterday the Western Provincial Government has a committee that acts according to the Games and Lottery Act.

“This committee puts guidelines on the regulation of gambling – Kura. Currently it is suspected that there a number of games that contravene Sections 14 and 15 of the Gaming and Lottery Act. These games operate under the guise of raising money for community groups.

“An order will soon be given to police for the arrest of any person who contravenes this Executive Decision. These people will be prosecuted.”

The provincial government will monitor these card games daily in the province.

Greenlight for teak export

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

AUKI

GOOD news for smallholding teak tree farmers in the country as the ministry of forestry announces greenlight for the export of the natural resource.

This is according to a statement received by this paper from the Malaita provincial forestry office in Auki.

“As the Forest Resource and Timber Utilisation Act (FRTUA) is silent on harvesting of established forestry plantations on customary land now privilege has given to teak farmers.

“Therefore, in order to do that the only provision that out growers can use to harvest their plantations or woodlots in the absence of an appropriate legislation or regulation is the Minister’s power provided for by section 4 1 (c) of the FRTUA.

“And using that power the applicants (company or association) can be exempted from committing forest offences from felling trees without a felling licence.

“Thus, the minister has instructed that under section 4 1 (c) permit will only granted to farmers if they met the following requirements through submissions to the office of the minister.

“Application to harvest forestry (teak) plantations or woodlots must be a registered company or association.”

Maps of the forestry plantation areas required and inventory data must be determined by a forestry officer with the tree growers or owners (diameter and volume).

Harvesting plan must involve detailed harvesting schedule, machines, labour, infrastructure, transportation, export point, export product (round log or processed product), environment protection and markets.

Benefit sharing model and investments that looked at revenue use for infrastructure, livelihood and development projects.

Consent is also required from each forestry plantation owner that includes list of plantation areas, owners name and signature.

In customary land where forestry plantations are scattered within tribal consent on the access and harvesting of plantation trees is required (addressing land ownership issues).

And there also a development consent required from the Ministry of Environment, Conservation, Disaster and Meteorology divisions.

According to the statement, addressing the required conditions in the submission will enable a company or an association’s application to dealt with accordingly.

It stated that the Exemption Order (EO) and the Legal Notice (LN) will include the required information and without their submissions the EO and LN will luck information and genuine.

The statement emphasised that assessment of all teak harvesting application are in progress and all application must meet the criteria before being granted with permission.

CRB arrives in Renbel: reports

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0
Coordinator for CRB Taskforce Mr Donald Wate shares government stand on the fight against CRB during the BA5 event SICCI and GPPOL hosted last week

BY LYNTON AARON FILIA

Coordinator for CRB Taskforce Mr Donald Wate shares government stand on the fight against CRB during the BA5 event SICCI and GPPOL hosted last week

 THE Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB) has reportedly arrived at the Rennell and Bellona province.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock through Biosecurity division suspected has received information from communities in Rennell that the pest has been sighted there two weeks ago.

MAL’s Director for Bio-security Mr Francis Tsastia however said that they are yet to verify these reports.

“CRB now in Renbel, reports received from the communities but it need to be confirmed.”

Tsastia made the statement during the ‘Business After Five’ event which convened members of the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry at Heritage Park Hotel last week.

Coordinator for CRB Taskforce Mr Donald Wate said currently government through its taskforce has established a MAL Operational Plan set out for pest management.

He explained the pest management systems are sanitation (reducing existing populations), internal quarantine (limiting further spread) and development of long term solutions.

Wate said implementing such a programme is complex and large which involves integration of pest management techniques such as sanitation, movement control, and identification and establishment of bio-control agents.

He also adds that the work will be carried out by several organisations including government and the private sector.

“This work goes beyond the Job Description of any existing government post and requires an individual with energy, initiative, drive and organisational leadership qualities, but not necessarily technical pest control expertise,” he said.

SICCI and GPPOL hosted the BA5 event with its members last week as a drive for the national campaign against the CRB.

The event convened members to listen from a presentation by GPPOL and Biosecurity highlighting updates regarding the pest.

Infested sites include Guadalcanal (2014-2015), Malaita (2016), part of Russell Islands (2016-2017), Savo (2016), Ngella (2016), Ulawa (2017), Gizo (2017), Shortlands (2000) and Renbel (2017-2018)(to be confirmed).

Help arrives

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0
HE Don Higgins, Dr Sevil Huseynova, PM Hou and HE Roderick Brazier with the first shipment of drugs from Australia

Australia, New Zealand and WHO provide life-saving drugs

 

AUSTRALIA and New Zealand, through their high commissions in Honiara (AHC & NZHC), and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have sourced life-saving drugs for Solomon Islands, in response to a request from the Prime Minister’s Office received last week.

Australian High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, Mr Roderick Brazier, said, “We have been following the situation closely, so as soon as the request was made we were able to work together to take action.”

The Prime Minister’s Office requested assistance with supplying 15 specific items.

On Saturday, 13 of those items arrived from Australia.

Today the remaining two items will be flown in from Australia and Fiji.

Discussing the partnership approach used to source the emergency drug supplies. Photos from AHC Communications

Mr Don Higgins, New Zealand High Commissioner to Solomon Islands said, “We all used our regional networks to identify the fastest possible way to get the requested supplies delivered.”

These supplies are expected to fill the current shortage until the National Medical Store order for these items arrives in two to three weeks.

Dr Sevil Huseynova, WHO Representative to Solomon Islands said, “This was a strong display of teamwork amongst partners.”

“Through close communication between ourselves and with the Solomon Islands Government, we were able to work together to meet the request within a week.”

Australia, New Zealand and WHO are in discussion with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services about providing technical expertise to review stock levels and analyse drug management systems, so that MHMS can avoid shortages in the future.

HE Don Higgins, Dr Sevil Huseynova, PM Hou and HE Roderick Brazier with the first shipment of drugs from Australia
PM Hou inspecting a sample of the lifesaving drugs

–AHC, NZHC & WHO JOINT PRESS

Archers competed well: SIAF

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0
Andrew Lano - Level two Olympic Solidary Course NC JULY 2018.

BY ROMULUS HUTA

OUR archery representatives have competed well at the recent Oceania Championship held in New Caledonia, a report by the Solomon Islands Archery Federation (SIAF) states.

The Oceania Championship was held in Noumea, New Caledonia from July 9 to 12. A total of six archers represented the country. They were Andrew Lano, Piper Soper, Kelly Baedonga, Janet Siru, Nancy Pize and Doris Laula.

The six archers were selected from the national archery championship sponsored by C & I Distributors held earlier June.

The Oceania Archery Championship brought together archers from 12 Oceania countries namely Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga and Vanuatu.

Following the completion of the championship, the Oceania Archery Congress was convened for top officials as well as a Level Two Olympic Solidarity Coaching Course from July 16 to 24 which were conducted by Pascal Colmaire of World Archery.

Andrew lano during the Course with Pascal.

Solomon Islands was represented in the coaching course by Lano and Laula while Archery Federation President Nihal Seneviratne represents the country in the Oceania Congress.

Upon their return, President Seneviratne said: “Competing in the Games was essential to give SI archers further experience of the pressure and the procedures of international competition, to observe and compare us with other archers and equipment and to build relationships with archers from neighbouring countries.

“There were 92 competitors in the Oceania Archery Games, the largest number of competitors in these games ever.

“Competitors came from Australia and New Zealand (by far the largest teams), Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea and of course the Solomon Islands.

“Archers from New Caledonia, Fiji and Tonga were very competitive against the larger team which goes to show that Solomon Islands can be competitive under the right circumstances.”

Seneviratne added that our archers have competed at distances they have not shot before which were challenging and intimidating for some.

Andrew Lano – Level two Olympic Solidary Course NC JULY 2018.

“However, several archers performed very well (at around the middle of the field in terms of score) and learnt a lot about choosing equipment and managing themselves in a competition (archery is an individual sport and competitors can’t ‘hide’ in a team).

“All team members benefited from the experience of competition pressure, equipment selection and maintenance, being constantly aware of competition progress so as to not delay the competition, and to make sure every arrow scores as high as possible!

“The number of under-20 competitors from other countries was very large (the Solomon Islands team were all seniors). We need to invite more interested younger people to participate in archery,” he said.

Knowing that they cannot compete well with the archers from other countries, the national representatives then played down strong focus on competition in training, but rather on developing technique,” according to Seneviratne.

“In the future, competitions at least every month will allow archers to gauge their progress and also to rank archers for selection in future competitions. Competition was intimidating for some archers, especially during match shooting when archers were matched with some of the best archers from Australia and New Zealand.

Doris Laula – Level two Olympic Solidary Course NC JULY 2018.

“The collegiality between archers and country teams was excellent and Solomon Island team members made good connections with other country members.

In-kind support was offered from Australian and New Zealand members and there were discussions on creating sister-clubs, so members can compete in reciprocal events.

“It takes time to become competitive in archery and this was apparent during these games. It is as much a mental sport as physical sport and there were times when the mental preparation was not enough; something to develop in the future.

“Solomon Islands archers competed at distances which they had not shot before which was challenging and intimidating for some.”

Bilikiki squad ready next month

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0
Bikiliki team

BY TAROMANE MARTIN

TEAM management for the Solomon Islands national beach soccer team, the Bilikikis, say they will name their final travelling squad for September’s OFC Beach soccer championship in Tahiti, next month.

The 2018 OFC Beach soccer championship will take place at the Pā’ōfa’i Gardens in Papeete, Tahiti from September 15 to 22 and will serve as Oceania’s qualification to next year’s Beach Soccer World Cup.

A statement from Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) Media Officer Mr Simon Abana yesterday said the national beach soccer team management has also drafted 15 provincial based players into the training squad.

Seven of the 15 players are from the Malaita Football Association, five from the Western Football Association while one each from Temotu Football Association, Central Football Association and Rebel Football Association.

“The beach soccer management will name its travelling squad on August 15 for the 2018 OFC Championship in Tahiti in September,” Mr Abana said.

Team Manager for the Bilikiki Squad Mr Ruben Oimae meanwhile said the 15 provincial players are expected to arrive this week to join the training squad.

“Hopefully all the provincial boys will come before this week end to join the training squad who have been training at the Mamana Water.

“Our training days are Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Hopefully the final squad will out mid-week of next months,” Mr Oimae said.

The 15 provincial based players will join the following Honiara based players Fred Hale, Izomo Bird, Desmond Tutu, Darwyn Aomatangi, James Naka, Nicholas Muri , McPhilip Aisah, Robert Laua, Anthony Talo , Samson Takayama and Diago Aleale in training before the final selection next month.

The provincial based players drafted into the Bilikiki training squad are:

Furai Iro (Malaita Football Federation),

Bobby Alick (Malaita Football Federation),

Funusui Kabini (Malaita Football Association),

Roy Mafane (Malaita Football Association),

Thomson Peter (Malaita Football Association),

Allen Farobo (Malaita Football Association),

Nelson Sipolo (Malaita Football Association),

Darwin Aomatagi (Renbel FA),

Nelson Disi (Temotu Football Association),

James Ngonia (Central Football Association),

Ben Basi (Western Football Association),

Skevin Tanito (Western Football Association),

Robie Tanito (Western Football Association),

Lenie Bana (Western Football Association) and

Ezekel Mudi (Western Football Association).

1...1,2751,2761,277...1,675Page 1,276 of 1,675