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Regional transnational crime trends

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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DEAR EDITOR, to add to the letter of mine you published in your newspaper last week on the same subject, I should like to mention that in recent days the Fiji Police seized more cocaine with an estimated value of about $US15 million from an island in the Lau group.

It was reported in the Fiji Times that the Fijian Customs Service, acting on a tip-off, found 30 blocks of cocaine with a combined weight of 40 kilograms.

This latest seizure come after a week when Fiji authorities had also seized $US15 million worth of cocaine and ecstacy from a yacht at Denarau, along with guns, cash and ammunition.

Yours sincerely

 

FRANK SHORT

CITREC extends employment opportunities to the people of Makira-Ulawa province

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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DEAR EDITOR, I was very pleased to read in the Island Sun newspaper today, Wednesday, that the Guadalcanal and Canadian governments have decided to extend their employment mobility opportunities to the people of Makira-Ulawa province.

CITREC’s Chairman, Mr Ashwant Dwivedi, was quoted in the newspaper as saying, “I can confirm that apart from tourism and agriculture labour opportunities, Makira-Ulawa province has the opportunity to be part of the food processing sector.”

Mr Dwivedi also spoke about the employment opportunities encouraging inclusive participation for both women and men.

I once wrote likening the work of the Guadalcanal Premier’s in linking up with CITREC and the Canadian Government has having “pulled rabbits out of a hat” and it seems the magic is ongoing with Premier Siapu now becoming skilled in the art.

To Mr Dwivedi and the Canadian Government I say thank you for the work opportunities you are continuing to give to the people of the Solomon Islands.

Yours sincerely

 

FRANK SHORT

Appreciating the making and fitting of prosthetic limbs

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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DEAR EDITOR, Last week I wrote to your newspaper expressing my appreciation of the fact that a fresh start seems to have been made in making and fitting prosthetic limbs to the long waiting list of ex-NRH patients that previously had undergone amputations at the hospital as a consequence of suffering from advanced diabetes or from injuries.

I thought I would share with you the heartwarming story I came across in the international press about an 8 year old Syrian child who had been born without legs.

Maya, the little girl, had been seen crying in a camp for displaced persons in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province trying to walk around on a contraption her father had made from tuna fish cans, plastic tubing and fabric.

Her story was highlighted on social media and caught the attention of a Turkish prosthetics specialist who arranged, last week, for the child to be fitted with two prosthetic legs at a humanitarian clinic in Istabul.

The homemade prosthetics had allowed her to move about more easily, and helped her learn how to balance, shortening a two-week process to a single day when she was fitted with her new legs.

I really do hope the fresh efforts to make and custom fit prosthetic limbs to the 400 or so awaiting them in the Solomon Islands will gather pace and allow them, like Maya, overcome their walking disabilities very soon.

Yours sincerely

 

FRANK SHORT

Ombudsman eyes provinces

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Ombudsman Fred Fakarii.

By Mike Puia

THE office of the ombudsman in Honiara is looking at the possibility of opening office branches in the provinces.

This was revealed by the Ombudsman’s Director of Legal Services, Nelson Dhita, during a village forum held in West Guadalcanal last week.

Dhita said their office is looking at moving out to other provinces in two or three year time.

He said this is one way of enabling members for the public in the provinces to access their service.

Earlier the Ombudsman, Fred Fakari’i, confirmed they are looking at setting up branches in the most populated provinces.

Fakari’i said moving out to the provinces is a plan but it will depend much on the data the office will get about where most complaints come from.

Port Villa and Luganville Mayors paid a courtesy visit to Honiara City Mayor

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Mayor of Port Villa Municipal Authority Albert Sandy presenting a gift to Mayor of Honiara City Cr Andrew Mua, OBE, witnessed by Mayor of Luganville Onen Gaviga ( second from left), Deputy Mayor of Honiara City Cr Eddie Ngava and City Clerk Charles Kelly. Photo from HCC Media
Mayor of Port Villa Municipal Authority Albert Sandy presenting a gift to Mayor of Honiara City Cr Andrew Mua, OBE, witnessed by Mayor of Luganville Onen Gaviga ( second from left), Deputy Mayor of Honiara City Cr Eddie Ngava and City Clerk Charles Kelly. Photo from HCC Media

THE Mayor of Port Villa Municipal Authority Albert Sandy and Mayor of Luganville, Onen Gaviga, have paid a courtesy visit to Honiara City Mayor Andrew Mua, OBE and Deputy Mayor Cr Eddie Ngava.

This is part of the sister City relationship between Honiara, Port Villa and Luganville in Vanuatu.

Port Villa Mayor Sandy said they are humbled for the visit and have enjoyed their staying here in Honiara.

“We are grateful and I would like to thank you for the respect and the hospitality you have shown.

“The sister relationship we have is the way forward, as we continue to work together and empower each other, to carry out work within our cities,” he added.

In response, Honiara City Mayor Mua said it is and honour for Honiara City to host the two mayors of Vanuatu and their Delegation.

“We are honoured to have you to build a stronger relationship between our Cities.

“This is also a time for us to share ideas in developing our Cities to provide better services to our citizens,” Mua said.

“I am really happy with the ties we have as it has shown during the flash floods in Honiara, when Port Villa supported the City Council.

“Your visit will strengthen our relationship and thank you for accepting our invitation.”

The two Vanuatu mayors and their delegation were also guests during the Island Feast to mark the 40th Independence anniversary hosted by Mayor Mua over the weekend.

–HCC PRESS

Completion of Munda airport boost to tourism: Hou

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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MP for Small Malaita Hon. Rick Hou is being nominated to run for PM onbehalf of the DCC Group

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THE completion of the Munda airport will increase visitor numbers in the country.

Prime Minister Rick Houenipwela said recently that upgrading of Munda airport to become the second international airport is an absolute critical infrastructure and certainly will help to increase visitor numbers to the country’s beautiful shores.

He said it is no news; the potential in the tourism industry is hugely untapped.

“I am very certain that the Tourism industry provides greater hope now for the economy.

“In fact by 2018 the industry is already well placed to bring in $500 million in foreign exchange.”

He said achieving the target is not the only goal for tourism, but will greatly assist the country in addressing the issues of unemployment, sustainable economic development and mitigating against such social problems as urban drift by our youths.

He also said the Government is now taking steps to create innovative employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for young people throughout the country.

This year a new Youth Empowerment Policy to drive youth employment and entrepreneurship in the country will be launched.

This framework will also include programmes for leadership training, in sports, arts and drama and many other areas of interest to our youth population.

Houenipwela also revealed he personally seeking to put in place formal labour mobility agreements with several countries including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan and Taiwan.

“I hope will help provide huge opportunities for our youths and alleviate the youth unemployment challenges in our country.”

Festival participants take day off but to make not

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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BY ALFRED SASAKO

IT was a rest day for regional participants of the 6th Melanesian Arts Festival in Honiara on Sunday. But the day turned out to be not a rest day for all at all.

Organisers of the $7 million two-week event got the mainline churches in Honiara to host regional participants for the day. It was a hit for both the visitors and the hosts for the PNG participants and their host.

For the Honiara District Dorcas of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, it was an opportunity to share the time, food and singing of religious songs with visitors from neighbouring Papua New Guinea.

“Feeding people is part of our community service, but we do not always entertain visitors. So when we were approached, we readily accept to entertain our brothers and sisters from PNG,” Honiara District Dorcas Vice President, Beverley Wale told Island Sun on Sunday.

Her President Delker Pakivai agrees.

“It is a golden opportunity to make new friends and share in the food as Melanesian brothers and sisters,” Mrs Pakivai said.

Food was in abundance as youth groups and others entertained the visitors with singing. Some 300 people attended the “day-off” at the Maranatha Hall at Lungga in east Honiara on Sunday.

Visitors from Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia were hosted by other mainline churches.

The 6th Arts Festival, which brought artists and craftsmen and women from the five Melanesian nations of Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands together, will formally conclude today (Tuesday, July 10) with foreign participants due to start departing the next day.

Participants from the Torres Straits Islands as well as West Papua also took part in the two-week event

Prime Minister Hou leaves for Australia today

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Solomon Islands’ newly elected Prime Minister and MP for Small Malaita, Hon Rick Houenipwela. Photo by George Herming

BY ALFRED SASAKO

PRIME Minister Rick Houenipwela leaves for Australia today – his second visit in as many months – this time to sign the tripartite agreement on the undersea cable linking Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea with Australia.

He and his PNG counterpart Prime Minister Peter O’Neil would meet Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Brisbane on Wednesday.

There, they will sign the multi-million dollar Project, which Canberra snatched from China’s telco giant, Huawei, in a decision which has angered Beijing.

The involvement at Prime Ministerial level shows how highly politicised the project has become.

A spokesman for the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet told Island Sun yesterday Prime Minister Houenipwela would leave for Brisbane later today (Tuesday).

He will return on Thursday after signing the undersea cable, which Australia promised would provide cheaper and faster internet service to the 12 percent or so of Solomon Islands’ working population.

This week’s visit is Prime Minister Houenipwela’s second in as many months. He visited Canberra, Brisbane and Bundaberg last June.

During that visit both he and Prime Minister Turnbull discuss the fibre optic project covering more than 4,000km linking the two Pacific neighbours via undersea cable with Australia.

Australia had been wary of Chinese company Huawei lining up to build the Solomon Islands’ cables and elbowed it out of the way because of strategic concerns, according to Australian media reports.

Canberra will pick up two thirds of the cost of the project. Money to pay for the project would come from Australia’s aid budget.

MACFEST NOC clarifies invites

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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PS Andrew Nihopara

BY GEORGINA KEKEA

PERMANENT Secretary of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and MACFest NOC Chairperson, Andrew Nihopara has made clarification on the concerns and sentiments raised by certain groups and individuals on the absence of the Melanesian provinces of Indonesia at the festival.

Mr Nihopara said the absence of the Melanesian provinces of Indonesia, including the Papua and West Papuan provinces is a matter for the Indonesian Government to clarify.

The Solomon Islands 6th Melanesian Arts and Cultural Festival (MACFest) National Organising Committee says all Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) member countries have been invited to participate at this year’s festival in Honiara.

The invite includes all members including Melanesians in other countries such as Indonesia, Timor Leste and the Torres Strait Islands of Australia.

Nihopara said for groups and individuals to blame the Solomon Islands Government, especially; the National Organising Committee for failing to invite Melanesians in Indonesia is baseless and unfounded.

“We have sent an invitation to Jakarta through the normal government process but we have not received any response from them.   The official invitation letter specifically mentioned the Provinces of East Nusa, Tenggara, Maluku, North Maluku, Papua and West Papua,” he said.

Nihopara said the MACFest-NOC is doing its best to bring in representatives from the Melanesian provinces of Indonesia to share and promote their Melanesian culture and identity at the festival but have not received any response through official channels in Jakarta.

“My Committee has prepared a traditional hut for the Melanesian Provinces of Indonesia at the main Festival Village in anticipation of their participation but we have not received any response from Jakarta following our formal invitation despite numerous attempts,” Nihopara said.

However he said   groups and individuals have the right to voice their concerns but there are proper processes to follow in order to avoid confrontations and problems with law enforcement officers at the festival.

Nihopara said the incident where Police have confiscated the West Papuan Morning Star flag from a local human rights activist was an isolated incident unrelated to MACFest.

He encouraged the public to respect the festival and to avoid causing any uncalled-for situation to the current peaceful situation enjoyed at the festival.

Nihopara said police presence at the main festival venues is aimed at maintaining law and order at the festival in the interest of national security.

The festival will formally close today.

Mewa removed as home affairs minister

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Minister of Education and Human Resources Commins Mewa

By Alfred Sasako

Commins Mewa

COMMINS Mewa was on Monday sacked as Minister of Home Affairs allegedly for non-performance, being the second victim relating to the organising of the 2023 South Pacific Games.

His replacement, Ishmael Avui MP, was sworn in at a brief ceremony at Government House yesterday.

Avui’s appointment was announced in a press statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet following his swearing in. It did not mention Mewa’s name.

Mewa’s sacking is the first since the SIDCCG came into office last December.

Island Sun understands that the Office of the Prime Minister became concerned about issues relating to the preparation of the South Pacific Games which Solomon Islands in 2023.

The Ministry of Home Affairs was the coordinating Office for the Games until earlier this year when its Permanent Secretary, George Palua, was replaced by Steve Abana MP as Chairman of the Organising Committee for the Games.

A high level committee has since been established within the Office of the Prime Minister to work on the Games as well as to secure funding for hosting the sporting carnival four years from now.

“Nothing seems to have moved since last year. So Hon Mewa has been sidelined,” one insider told Island Sun yesterday.

Officials are reportedly concerned that very little has been done and there is little time left.

To date only Taiwan has assured the Government it would help to ensure Solomon Islands is successful in hosting the Games.

Taipei is said to be waiting on the Government for specific details on the costs of hosting the Games.

Despite visits by two prime ministers to Taiwan, Taipei has never specified what monetary help it would provide towards hosting the Games.

A committee set up by former deputy prime minister and MP for East Honiara, Douglas Ete, said in a report that the cost of the National Stadium and other facilities would cost around $271 million (about USD35 million).

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