A NEW count of 11,593 international visitors arrived in Solomon Islands in the first quarter of this year.

Government Statistician Douglas Kimi revealed this while releasing the official statistics produced by the Solomon Islands National Statistics Office (SINSO) recently.

Mr Kimi said though the record hit the figure, there was a fall of 28.5 percent noted compared to the fourth (last) quarter of 2017.

However, he added that compared to the same quarter a year ago, an increase of 15.6 percent was recorded.

He said visitors made up 54 percent of arrivals for 2018 first quarter while 45 percent of arrivals were accounted for returning residents and the remaining 1 percent were for intending residents.

“Visitor arrivals for the first quarter decreased by 11.6 percent to 6,296 visitors, compared to the fourth quarter 2017 figure of 7,122 visitors.

“There was a 29.0 percent increase in visitor arrivals from first quarter 2017 to first quarter 2018,” he stated.

–SINSO PRESS

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THE Royal Solomon Islands Police Force will be commissioning three RSIPF officers for UN deployment to Sudan today.

This is the third deployment of RSIPF officers to the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Darfur, Sudan.

According to the Police Media unit a parade will be held at the Rove Police Headquarter today for the official commissioning of the officers.

The RSIPF has been deployed to the UN Missions since 2016, and that programme has been very successful since 2016.

Last year the former Prime Minister during his address to the United Nations General Assembly said that Solomon Islands is a country recipient of regional assistance through RAMSI, and the officers from the RSPIF is a way of contributing back into the global community for the assistance received.

And again the sending of another three officers this year speaks well of the professionalism RSIPF officers perform their duties in Darfur.

Minister and Government representatives will be attending the ceremony today.

BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO

PRIME Minister Rick Houenipwela has urged intending female candidates of Malaita to join and work closely with political parties.

He said this statement in relation to the Malaita Women’s empowerment and Development policy 2018 to 2022 policy outcome 5 – equal participation of men and women in leadership roles and decision making.

“If you (women of Malaita) want to be voted into parliament I encourage you to join in with any existing political parties in the country and work closely with men.

“And if it happens that you are not eligible due to having less voters voted you, you can still be with the political parties in terms of giving directions to the party policy because these are the policies members of Parliament always based their sentiments from.”

On the same issue, MP for East Malaita and Opposition Leader Manasseh Maelanga said that political party is the first place where aspiring women can first articulate with men and they (men) can support women to represent their people.

“I urge you to join political parties from there we will support you and will encourage other men and women to go for you when it comes to election period,” he said.

This policy outcome was discussed in yesterday’s dialogue because there is less representation of women in the political spheres, both national and provincial.

By Alfred Sasako

KERUVAL Tribe – one of three tribal groups on Russell Islands – has dismissed claims by rival group, Sevev Land Trust Board it has taken ownership of FTEs on Russell Islands, announcing it will challenge the claim in court.

Keruval Tribe will be challenging the claim in court, outspoken Russell Islands’ tribal chief, Silas Selo said yesterday.

This follows an announcement of the takeover by Sevev Land Trust Board Chairman, Leslie Norris, this week, claiming the Office of the Registrar has re-entered his tribal group in the register.

Mr Norris said Russell Islands is now out of bound for LSL, Lavukal Trust Board or their agents, warning anyone who disregards the warning risks charges of criminal trespass once they set foot on Russell Islands.

“This means that Lever Solomon Ltd no longer has any legal claims to the Russell Islands Estates. Any attempts by LSL to enter Russell Islands without the consent or permission of the Sevev Land Trust Board would be considered illegal and amount to criminal trespass,” Norris said.

But outspoken tribal chief on Russell Islands, Silas Selo, has hit back, saying the whole thing was “fraud”.

“First, the so-called registration of the FTEs was done under duress because it was done in 2000, the height of the ethnic tension.

“Secondly, Sevev Land Trust Board never owns a single FTE on Russell Islands. And that’s the truth. You can search the books on registration of FTEs and you will not find even a single FTE registered under the Sevev tribe,” Mr Selo told Island Sun yesterday.

“Sevev is not a tribe and that is why they do not own even a single FTE on Russell. The only tribal groups that own FTEs are Keruval and Lavukal, no one else,” Selo said.

In a letter to the Lever Solomons Ltd management, the Office of the Registrar of Titles said Re-entry of Sevev Land Trust Board (Incorporated) has been entered on 13 FTEs Register.

These FTEs are: 165-002-121, 165-002-123,177-003-2 177-003-3, 177-003-6, 177-004-2, 177-004-3, 177-005-1, 177-006-1, 177-006-3, 177-006-4, 178-001-1 and 178-002-1

But, Selo said this is not quite correct because a number of court cases are still pending.

“In fact there should have been 15 FTEs, but it is public knowledge that an individual who is working on behalf of Sevev Land Trust Board has sold two of these to someone as repayment of a loan,” Selo said.

“It would seem they have jumped the gun. Let me put them on notice that I will challenge their claim in court.”

Selo also produced a Company Haus extract, which shows a company called Solomon Pearl Ltd owning 70 percent and Sevev Land Trust Board (Incorporated) owning 30 percent.

“This shows this Sevev thing is owned and driven by one man, not the Sevev people,” he said.

Company Haus said yesterday Solomon Pearl Ltd was no longer in operation as it was removed from the register on November 1, 2015.

BY ALFRED PAGEPITU
GIZO

THE 26 elected provincial members (MPA) of the Western province assembly will take their oath in Gizo on Monday, June 25.

Provincial Clerk to the Assembly Mr Kevin Paia in an interview yesterday, said the MPAs will take their oath at the provincial headquarter conference room.

He adds that the next day, Tuesday June 26, nominations for the speaker of assembly will open at 9am, to be closed on Thursday June 28, at 4pm.

“The speaker must be a registered voter, ordinary resident in a ward of the province and not a member of the Assembly or the National Parliament.

“Nomination must be in writing, signed by two members and personally given to the Clerk during the nomination period and the candidate shall sign the nomination form to indicate acceptance of the nomination,” said Paia.

Paia added that no member may nominate more than one candidate for speaker or deputy speaker.

He said the newly elected speaker will be officially announced on Friday, June 29.

Paia explained that general public as required by standing order will see the final nomination list at the provincial sign board on Thursday, June 28.

He calls on the public to respect the outcome of the results for both speaker and Premier.

BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO

ONLY seven out of 14 members of Parliament attended yesterday’s dialogue with Malaita women representatives in Honiara.

The talks had been planned between 20 women leaders of Malaita and their 14 members of parliament.

However disappointing the MP-turnout was, the Malaitan women leaders humbly accepted the low attendance, saying that such initiative was the first of its kind hence such may bound to happen.

“We look forward on the next step of this dialogue quite a good number of them (honorable members) will attend, however, we are pleased and appreciated those who have participated on today’s dialogue; we hope they have noted all the issues raised and discussed,” they said.

In response, Member of Parliament for East Kwaio Stanley Sofu said some of them had not received invitation letters to the dialogue.

The dialogue was organised by the UN Women in partnership with the Ministry of Women Youth Children and Family Affairs and the Ministry of Rural Development through the United Nation Peacebuilding Fund project.

IT”S a done deal. The provinces of Makira-Ulawa and Temotu will be added to list of eligible provinces alongside the province of Guadalcanal as part of the labour mobility partnership with Canada.

Last week in an extraordinary board meeting CITREC agreed to include the two provinces as part of its education and training programme.

On Monday this week the much anticipated approval for inclusion of both provinces into Tourism & Hospitality and Agriculture programme for Labour Mobility was also announced.

The successful inclusion of the two provinces was made possible when both provincial premiers had successful bilateral talks with Canadian International Training & Education Corp (CITREC) Chairman Mr Ashwant Dwivedi during his recent visit to Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.

“I have yesterday communicated to both the premiers of Makira-Ulawa Stanley Siapu and Temotu Province Premier David Maina informing them that we have established allocation for inclusion of both the provinces into the labour mobility stream and that necessary training through CITREC would be made available to them to offer in August following which the people of respective provinces will join the leader, Guadalcanal province in sending its workers to Canada. It’s a done deal,” Chairman Dwivedi said.

Dwivedi said that given the Canadian government’s strong policy on women CITREC programme strongly promotes inclusion of women in its programme.

“We encourage and support any opportunity where women are included as part of education, training & labour mobility partnership,” Dwivedi said.

The Justin Trudeau’s Canadian Government had just announced at G7 summit that it has raised more than $3.8 billion in an effort with other countries to send the world’s poorest girls to school.

“Guadalcanal province through the strong leadership of its Premier Anthony Veke, has set a strong foundation where we see inclusion of women to both labour mobility and education and training programs that is presently offered in the Solomon Islands through CITREC’s partnership with GP. Both leaders Premier Stanley Siapu and Temotu Premier David Maina have especially asked during my first initial meeting that women from their respective provinces be considered and included in the labour mobility programmes. This is an approach I welcome,” Dwivedi said.

Dwivedi said that as part of partnership both the provinces will have same benefit to that is presently extended to Guadalcanal. Some of the benefits of the partnership include:

1. Air travel benefit will be extended to residents of both Makira-Ulawa and Temotu provinces.
2. Makira-Ulawa and Temotu provinces will also benefit from Remittances Arrangement where citizens of the province working in Canada will be remitting funds to their respective provinces each month.
3. Makira-Ulawa and Temotu province graduates of the CITREC programmes will be eligible to apply for and join employment opportunities in Canada both as temporary foreign workers and as permanent residents.

During Dwivedi’s visit both provinces jointly signed a Memorandum of Understanding that provided CITREC with the necessary tool to begin process of inclusion of the two provinces into its labour mobility partnership.

In a statement through CITREC, Makira-Ulawa Premier Siapu said that he joins his colleague Premier of Temotu in thanking CITREC and officials of the Canadian government and sector council by considering including them into the programme.

“Thank you, Chairman Mr Dwivedi, for this opportunity. For us in the Makira-Ulawa province we see this opportunity as a golden opportunity. That has come our way to enable us to be developing the human resources capacity for people of my province, children, our youths and our students. This partnership will ensure that in years to come we begin to build our human resources capacity through our partnership with CITREC in Canada,” Siapu said.

Siapu further said that he is very fortunate that his dream of seeing his people and province being included into the CITREC partnership has happened during his term as Premier.

“We will ensure that in partnership with our sister province Temotu we begin to offer the programme in August and early next year we see some of our people leaving for employment opportunities in Canada whether as temporary workers or much better as Permanent Residence. We are very excited about the opportunity,” Siapu said.

Siapu also thanked Guadalcanal province, its Premier and the executives for providing the much-needed guidance to be able to join the CITREC programme.

“My staff at the Education office will continue to closely work with Guadalcanal Education authority officials to successfully roll out the programme,” Siapu said.

Temotu Premier Maina said that this is a great opportunity for his people and province to being part of this much rewarding programme.

“This programme will be rewarding programme for my people.”

Maina said that he widely supports the programme for being a gender balance one.

“As we strive to grow tourism in part of my province we want to be able to introduce Canadian tourism standards into our tourism sector. From what I see and hear from Guadalcanal Province CITREC has the best programme to offer to help introduce tourism standards. I want women to learn from this training and be part of the work force both in my province and in Canada when we send workers.”

–CITREC PRESS

BY ALFRED PAGEPITU
GIZO

WESTERN province will next week decide on who will lead the province as Premier.

Nominations for candidates will open at 8am Friday June 29 and close at 4pm on Monday July 2.

Election of a new premier will take place on Tuesday, July 3.

Clerk to Provincial Assembly, Kevin Paia, in an interview yesterday, said the newly elected speaker of the provincial assembly should be declared on Friday, and the speaker will officially open nominations for the premier’s post.

“If we receive more than one nomination, we will have to do a round robin vote, but if only one candidate is nominated, then we will convene to declare the new Premier of Western Province,” Paia explains.

Meanwhile, four MPAs are rumoured to be eying the premier post; Lepese Paul MPA for ward 10 Irigila, Ramrakha Akuila Talasasa MPA for Nusa Roviana Ward 16, David Gina MPA for ward 15 and George Solingi Lilo MPA for Ward 18 South Rendova.