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Offshore fisheries, main revenue provider for gov’t

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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BY LORETTA BRIGIDIA MANELE

ACCORDING to the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) recently launched Business Plan (2018-2023), offshore fisheries is one of the main revenue providers for the national government.

The ministry stated the sector which covers commercial tuna harvesting by domestic and foreign purse seine, long line, and pole and line vessels collects revenue through various licenses, permits and processing and observation fees.

Under this sub-sector of the fisheries sector, MFMR expressed that it also oversees the implementation of the PNA Vessel Day Scheme where the country sells fishing days to offshore fishing vessels.

MFMR added that this management tool provides an important revenue collection mechanism for the ministry.

Other sub-sectors under the fisheries sector are; coastal and inland fisheries, onshore tuna processing, aquaculture and recreational fishery.

Speaking of services provided by these sectors, coastal and inland fisheries provide a vital source of income, food security, employment and well-being for Solomon Islanders while in the onshore tuna processing sector, the country has one commercial onshore processing facility that adds value to offloaded tuna, generates increased return and jobs and stimulates spin off opportunities that benefit operators in related commercial sectors.

Meanwhile, in aquaculture, MFMR noted that seaweed is currently the main commercial aquaculture product the country exports.

In addition, this sector is said to be an alternative to wild stock harvesting of coastal fisheries and has been identified as a viable option for supply of animal source protein, food security and rural livelihoods.

Recreational fishery on the other hand is yet to fully emerge to a sector in the country as there is no revenue collected from it to date.

However, the ministry mentioned that it is an attraction for some tourists and have accommodated a number of important events in the sense of recreational and sport fishing such as the annual lagoon festival in Munda, Western Province.

New leadership in Western and Choiseul provinces

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Choiseul Premier Jackson Kiloe.

BY GEORGINA KEKEA

LAST week’s provincial election in Western and Choiseul provinces will see the two provinces with new leaders in the two top positions in the Provincial government level.

Former premier of Western Province, Wayne Maepioh was ousted in the election process while Choiseul’s former premier, Jackson Kiloe decided that it is time for him to move on after almost 19 years being a Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA).

Kiloe has made his retirement from the Provincial government known, well before the provincial elections took place.

In November 2017, Kiloe announced his retirement and had said the retirement will give him the break he needs.

Kiloe became a member of the Babatana ward in 1999 and since then had been MPA till his retirement from the Provincial government recently.

Maepioh on the other hand was quite upset with how the campaign in last week’s provincial election went.

He had said that he will open a petition against his opponent, a comment he made even a day before the counting of votes.

This was from an alleged vote rigging. Maepioh claimed two members of Parliament had been involved.

“Both men have showered voters with gifts of sewing machines, solar panels and even Out Board Motors. One even threatened voters that if they do not vote for the MP’s candidate, they would not get any assistance from the MP in Honiara,” Mr Maepioh said.

 

Newly elected and re-elected MPAs of the two provinces are:

Choiseul province

  1. Wagina Movete Kabiri
    2.         Katupika                    Harrison Benjanin
    3.         Vasiduki                      Gregory Pita
    4.         Viviru                          Philip Bavare
    5.         Babatana                 John Matapaza
    6.         Tepazaka                  Ralpbell Vina
    7.         Vuruvachu                Paul Telovae
    8.         Choiseul Bay             Josiah Vana
    9.         Taba                          Watson Qoloni
    11.       Tavula                                   Clement Kengava
    12.       Varisi Suka                  George Vanakana
    13.       Varisi Lavata             Nerio Ulemiki
    14.       Katario                       Ezra Kukuti
    15.       Senga                                    Michael Ngarakana
    16.       Kerepangara                        Kevin Vaekesa
    17.       Kiruqela                     Derald Galotaba

Western province

  1. Inner Shortland islands Brisbane Amatore
  2. Outer Shortland Islands Joseph Gorae
  3. Simbo Isaac Vula Tatapu
  4. North Ranogga Leong Mamu
  5. Central Ranogga Roni Ghemu
  6. South Ranogga Oellia Muala
  7. Vonunu Christian Mesepitu
  8. Mbilua Whycliffe Sunga
  9. Dovele Jennings Movobule
  10. Irigila Paul Lepese
  11. Gizo John Wale
  12. South Kolombangara Jenty Isaac
  13. Vona Vona Alesina Redfern
  14. Kusaghe Elvis Cromwel
  15. Munda David Gina
  16. Nusa Roviana Ramurakha Talasasa
  17. Roviana Lagoon Nickson Buka
  18. South Rendova George Sollingi Lilo
  19. North Rendova Mark Gaqa
  20. Kolobarea Claudius Rence
  21. Bunitusu Goldie Nunala
  22. Noro Gillisi Palmer
  23. South Vangunu Petri Sute
  24. North Vangunu Samuel Sive
  25. Noro Billy Veo
  26. North Kolombangara Sutcliffe Heke George

Development raises concern

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0
Land being cleared for development

BY GEORGINA KEKEA

Land being cleared for development

INCREASING settlements and development of land along the Tenaru strip of area has raised concern among Guadalcanal people alike.

For quite some time, there has been discussions in social media on this particular stretch of land and whether the people settling and building houses there have acquired these lands through proper processes and channels.

Through these discussions in social media it was made known that the Guadalcanal Provincial Government (GPG) has had a number of discussions with Levers Solomons and from the discussions it was agreed that land beyond Alligator is to be given and prioritized for Guadalcanal people only.

However this is not the case. Development and felling of cocoa trees on Lever’s land along the Tenaru stretch of road is progressing at a very fast rate.

Now most of the cocoa trees along the stretch of road to the Tenaru Bridge have been felled with buildings being built instead.

The settlers developing these lands are unknown and how they acquire the lands are not known either.

GP has denied selling these blocks of land to the settlers as they say, ‘only Levers Solomons have the right to sell these lands’.

Notice being erected on the stretch of land

“The cocoa plantation there was where we used to earn an income ever since it was left idle by Levers,” a woman from North Guadalcanal said.

The recent protest on the new development of these lands was a stop notice erected to ward people of these lands.

A notice deemed ineffective as almost 80 percent of the cocoa plantation had been removed and development now taking shape.

Island Sun understands that most developments happening in the said areas are not approved by the Guadalcanal Provincial Town Country Planning Board.

It is also understood that Guadalcanal province lacks the enforcement mechanism.

Taiwan monitors SI’s China visit

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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TWO Cabinet ministers and opposition figures from Taiwan ally the Solomon Islands are visiting China, reports said Saturday, inciting concern that Taipei might lose another of its 18 remaining allies.

Over the past months, the Dominican Republic and Burkina Faso switched recognition from Taiwan to China amid rising pressure from the communist country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Saturday it was closely monitoring the situation, adding that the government of the Solomon Islands had told the Taiwanese mission that the relationship was stable.

Ruling Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Wang Ding-yu earlier reported on his Facebook page that the ministers of transportation and mining as well as one opposition lawmaker from the Solomon Islands were visiting Beijing, but that the trip had not been authorised by the Cabinet and was of a private nature.

However, Wang warned that the fact that the journey was taking place at all should be seen as “a negative signal.”

He added that as the Solomon Islands were preparing for general elections next year, some politicians might start having “illusions” about the possibility of Chinese investment and financial aid, the Central News Agency reported.

–TAIWAN NEWS

Tulaghi road included in recent NTF approval

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

TULAGHI roads are amongst confirmed for maintenance to continue under the National Transport Fund (NTF) Board’s recent meeting.

The NTF Board successfully approved funding requested by the Central Project Implementation Unit (CPIU) under the Ministry of Infrastructure Development for ongoing and new projects after having a second quarter meeting.

NTF Board earlier had approved the 2018 NTF work priorities and 2018 Annual Work Plan at its meeting on January 31 in which Central Islands Province (CIP) had not benefited again being understood to be the only province that has no new infrastructure development for the last forty years raising grave concern.

However, after the NTF Board had a second quarter meeting on June 7, 2018, funding includes maintenance works for Tulaghi roads as well.

“Funding include maintenance works for Hibiscus Avenue road, Guadalcanal East road (Alligator Bridge to Metapona Bridge), Guadalcanal West road (White River to Doma), Malaita North road (Silolo – Fouia), Malaita South road, Malaita East road, Tulaghi roads, and Buala roads,” said Jimmy Nuake the Head of NTF Secretariat/US Technical under the Ministry of Infrastructure Development in a Press Statement.

From an awareness programme held at Tulaghi by the NTF group in 2017, CIP’s Premier Patrick Vasuni told Island Sun early this year that it is very disappointing to find out that the province has not benefitted.

“Even a small province as Renbel has benefitted,” said the Premier.

“We are really disappointed that the government has done nothing to develop infrastructures on Central province as we also handed in our submissions.”

He added that no such development is a slap on the face of his people.

NTF is a special fund for developing, maintaining and managing transport infrastructure and services in Solomon Islands.

The current contributors to the Fund are the Solomon Islands Government, the Government of Australia and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

MFMR collects more revenue for gov’t than budget received

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

BY LORETTA BRIGIDIA MANELE

THE fishery sector has generated more than $1.1 billion for the Solomon Islands government in the last five years to 2016, all of which is returned to the Solomon Islands government’s consolidated fund.

This is according to a Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) document which emphasizes that the sector is a key productive sector that not only generates food security, employment and rural livelihoods for many Solomon Islanders but is also yielding foreign revenue for the national government.

In the Business Plan document (2018-2023), the ministry stressed that more revenue is being collected for the government than is provided to them on an annual basis through the Solomon Islands government recurrent and development budgets.

Moreover, as stated, resources invested by the government into MFMR in the last five years in terms of increments has been small hence budget support from donors played a critical role for the ministry in meeting recurrent expenditures including payroll and related charges.

The Ministry last year developed its first strategy, the Solomon Islands Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Strategy (2017-2019) thus the business plan was created to present a clear picture of how MFMR will secure resources to achieve it’s objectives, mission and vision.

“The MFMR Business Plan identifies opportunities to implement policy through funding the activities outlined in the MFMR Strategy (2017-2019).

“These include increasing annual SIG budgets allocated to MFMR work plans, reducing underspend, improving the current revenue collection and to identifying new revenue opportunities for the government in order to fund activities to improve initiatives for social and economic benefits of the country,” said the document.

International arrivals in the country drops in first quarter    

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0
Honiara International Airport

BY LYNTON AARON FILIA

 INTERNATIONAL arrivals to Solomon Islands have decreased by 28.5 percent for the first quarter of 2018, compared to the 4th Quarter of 2017, a statistic shows.

A report from the Solomon Islands National Statistic Office revealed total arrivals for the first quarter 2018 were 11,593.

However, this is a 15.6 percent increase to the first quarter of last year, which is a marked improvement.

54 percent of total arrivals were visitors, 45 percent returning residents and the remaining one percent intending residents.

The 6,296 visitors is an 11.6 percent decrease to last year’s fourth quarter tally which recorded 7,122 visitors.

And, this year’s visitors superseded last year’s record of first quarter visitors by 29 percent.

Country of Residence Arrivals for the first quarter of 2018 showed that Australians remain the largest group of visitors to the Solomon Islands with 34.9 percent.

The next largest groups were from other Asia with 15.1 percent, followed by Fiji 7.2 percent, other Pacific 6.5 percent, Papua New Guinea 6.2 percent, New Zealand 5.7 percent and the United States of America 5.1 percent.

Visitors by Month for International arrivals showed that March recorded the highest number of arrivals in the first quarter of 2018 with 2,360 visitors.

Following that was January with a total of 2,081 visitors and February which was the least to recorded 1,855 visitors.

In terms of Tourists, 1,941 tourists arrived in first quarter of 2018 and they spent an average of 15.5 days in the country.

Australian residents still made up the highest proportion of tourists accounts to 38.7 percent for the quarter and stayed in the country for an average of 11 days.

Residents from other Asians made up the next largest group of tourists with 11.5 percent, followed by United States of America (8.6 percent, other Pacific 6.3 percent, China 5.3 percent, Papua New Guinea, Japan and Other Europe, 4.2 percent.

3 components for airport facelift

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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L-R PS for Ministry of Communication and Aviation Mr Moses Virivolomo, Minister Milner Tozaka second left, Japan Ambassador HE Shigeru Toyama and Mr Takashi Tayama Chief Representative of JICA, PNG Office

BY LYNTON AARON FILIA

IMPROVING the Honiara International Airport is designed into three components aimed to enhance airport convenience for both International and domestic terminal.

Last week, Chief Representative for the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Office in PNG, Mr Takashi Toyama the first component targets the expansion and rehabilitation of buildings and construction of a new international departure terminal building.

The existing international passenger building will be renovated to accommodate domestic passenger terminal and international arrival terminal, he adds.

Toyama said such new arrangements are expected to boost the convenience of passenger between international and domestic terminal and to contribute to the tourism industry.

The second component provides various special equipment and facilities necessary for the improvement of airport operation and safety.

L-R PS for Ministry of Communication and Aviation Mr Moses Virivolomo, Minister
Milner Tozaka second left, Japan Ambassador HE Shigeru Toyama and Mr Takashi
Tayama Chief Representative of JICA, PNG Office

The third component will cover civil work in which the current aprons will be equipped with four spots of international aircrafts and six spots of domestic.

There will also be a new taxiway constructed with current taxiway renovated.

The improved airport has two taxiways and will realise the smoother traffic in the airport in which two taxiways are separately allocated to inbound and outbound aircraft.

Improving the Honiara International Airport Mr Toyama said they expect a drastic reduction in the waiting time of taxiway evacuation.

He said JICA targets early 2019 as the commencement of implementation of the project.

Toyama said they would like to emphasise the importance of Solomon Islands government’s active engagement in the speedy realisation of prerequisite obligation of the government.

He said selection of quarry site and contract for crushed stone production is their concern and disposal of UXO is critical condition for launching the project.

Minister for Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Mr Milner Tozaka thanked the Government and people of Japan for such as tangible project which will bring another facelift to international gateway to Solomon Islands.

“I wish to reiterate our gratitude to your government for the assistance rendered and please be assured that my government will ensure that this project reaches its completion,” Tozaka said.

$350M cost to taxpayers

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0
National Parliament of Solomon Islands

MPs begin drawing funds under Constituency Machinery Grant

BY ALFRED SASAKO

MORE details have emerged about the Constituency Machinery Grants (CMG), the monster being created to return MPs at the next national general election early next year.

Island Sun was given a comprehensive brief on the CMG following its expose last week, that donors may be unknowingly funding official corruption.

Sources told Island Sun that the National Transport Fund (NTF) co-funded by Australia, New Zealand and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is safe.

“The NTF has a tight set of guidelines controlled by donors so it is pretty safe,” the sources said.

“In fact, the CMG was created because politicians could not get their hands on the NTF. Instead, they have targeted the Shipping Grants in the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID).”

In the brief over the weekend, Island Sun was provided details of how the CMG works, where the money comes from, and who will undertake infrastructure projects.

In doing so, civil contractors have been locked out from the deal, which will cost taxpayers an estimated $350 million this financial year.

The money, vired from the Ministry of Infrastructure Development appears in the Ministry of Rural Development Budget this year.

It was transferred there so that Members of Parliament can have total control over its spending.

MPs will be able to use the funds allocated to their constituencies to order heavy equipment and machinery from overseas.

These machines and equipment will then be hired out to pre-selected contractors of their choice, who may not necessarily be qualified engineers to build roads, airstrips and wharves.

And because spendings by or under Constituency programmes are exempted from tax, MPs will not pay duties on the machinery and equipment that some have already ordered for their infrastructure projects.

Sources told Island Sun on the weekend, two members of Parliament have reportedly drawn part or all of their shares of the $350 million earmarked for RCDF grants in this year’s budget.

Each Constituency would receive $7 million in RCDF grants which is being administered by the Ministry of Rural Development this financial year.

What many MPs intend to do with the money is to order heavy equipment and machinery from overseas for infrastructure projects.

Some MPs may have arranged to lease machines and equipment, although the preference is for MPs to own these expensive machines so that they could hire them out as their own to undertake Constituency work, sources said.

“Many have already placed orders as the MPs want to take total control over spendings on infrastructure projects in their constituencies. They want to do this in the period leading to the election, which is expected to be held in February or March next year,” the sources said.

“The $350 million was vired from a number of heads, particularly from the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID), which ended up with a zero budget for the Shipping Grants this year.

“The two MPs have engaged companies or individuals without the knowledge of MID engineers.

“The normal tender process was also avoided in granting contracts for building Constituency infrastructure projects.

“This is a great concern because without supervision by qualified engineers from the MID which is the designated authority on civil works, there is a lot of things, including safety at stake.

“For example, one of the MPs has engaged an Asian to do upgrading work on an existing airfield, using the MP’s machinery and equipment.

“The next infrastructure project would be the construction of a wharf. These two projects demand the attention of qualified engineers prior to and after construction to ensure the quality of work measures up,” the sources said.

According to sources, the other MP has built a road in his Constituency without the knowledge of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development.

“As expected, the road construction cuts through a number of customary land whose owners came to Honiara recently, demanding answers from the MID.

“MID simply told the customary landowners that the Ministry had nothing to do with the road works. They were simply advised to see their Member of Parliament,” the sources said.

Meanwhile the creation of the Constituency Machinery Grants (CMG) is reportedly adding to the severe cash flow problem being experienced by the Government.

“What is happening is this. Because MPs are exempt from paying import duties and other taxes on goods purchased in the name of their constituencies, the government is losing heaps on duties.

“This is impacting on government revenue.

“The other negative aspect is that the CMG has literally shut out infrastructure projects from civil contractors. As a result, civil contractors too are not paying any tax because they are not given any projects at all,” one businessman said.

Women’s absence in leadership restricts half of SI voices heard

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0
Mrs Anika Kingmele.

BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO

Mrs Anika Kingmele.

THE chairlady of Women’s Right Action Movement (WRAM) Mrs Anika Kingmele highlighted that the absence of women in leadership and decision making restricts half of the country’s voice from being heard.

She revealed this at the weeklong Solomon Islands Practice Parliament for Women (SIPPFW) in Honiara.

Kingmele said only half of the country’s voice is heard in discussions on various developments that impact women’s lives, many of which end in negative results for women which are also major violations of women’s rights.

“I would say we need more women in village and community committees, we need more women in the provincial governments, non-governmental organisations and church governing bodies, we need more women in the provincial assemblies and in the round house.

“Because of this very fact WRAM and other women organizations are established to address violation of women’s rights in this country which stems from gender inequality due to the imbalance of power between women and men.”

Kingmele furthered, much of this is to do with ignorance but many times it is also to do with reluctance, insecurity on people’s part to want know about women’s rights.

She said WRAM’s work now and into the future will continue to address gender inequality brought about by the power and control that men have over women and which have resulted in many violations of the rights of women and girls of this country.

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