Home Blog Page 1353

Lack of training and poor data identified as key challenges for land valuers in SI

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0

THE Solomon Islands Valuers Association conducted a workshop with Australian valuers to identify the main challenges in their work and look for ways to improve land valuation processes in Solomon Islands.

The workshop, arranged through the Pacific Community (SPC) with financial assistance from the Government of Australia, brought together licenced valuers from across the Solomon Islands, to meet and learn from Australian valuers David Sullivan, Paul O’Kelly and Steven Venter from International Valuation & Property Services (IVPS).

At the workshop, the valuers discussed criteria that contribute to land values, such as location, topography, services available on the land, the lot area, along with other important factors that influence the market value of land.

Issues raised and discussed at the workshop included the influence of clients, the lack of reliable sales data and the lack of training and formal guidance currently available to valuers in the Solomon Islands.

Speaking after the workshop, Valuer General Joyce Galo said “this was a very useful opportunity to bring valuers together, to point out our mistakes and so we can start to work out how to improve land valuations and stamp duty collection in the future.

“We will be working more closely now with the Inland Revenue Division to identify under-reporting of land valuations, and to ensure that stamp duty is paid based on the transfer consideration of the land, not just the unimproved value of the land.”

SPC’s Alan McNeil highlighted the importance of the workshop, and praised the commitment shown by the Solomon Islands Valuers Association to improve their professional capacity saying, “Valuers to date have lacked the guidance needed to produce reports based on uniform, consistent criteria, and this inevitably has led to questions being raised about the accuracy of land valuations.

“We are now helping valuers to develop a reliable, accurate, and professional system for determining land valuations, as a means of contributing towards national development goals.”

The valuers from IVPS will be engaged by SPC until October, during which time they will assist the Valuer General and her unit to develop stricter criteria on how land is valued in Solomon Islands, which can then be adopted by the valuation profession.

–MLHS PRESS

Honiara High hosts last Mandarin awareness activity

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0
M Li delivering her presentation.

BY LORETTA BRIGIDIA MANELE

M Li delivering her presentation.

ON June 1, SINU’s Mandarin teacher from Taiwan, Ms Kuei Mi Li held her fifth and last Mandarin awareness activity on language and Taiwan culture at Honiara High School.

She expressed that like other students whom she had encountered during her touring, the students have shown intense interest and warm welcome for her presentation, stimulating and gratifying.

Students showed great interest in the presentation with one of them, Alickson Dalu stating that his most favored part of the session was when they were taught how to sing and learn Mandarin.

Ms Li was also assisted by one of her students, Ms Agnes Menapono who spoke and sung to the students in Mandarin.

Ms Menapono said that by the look on their faces, she could tell that they loved the presentation and were interested in to learn more about Taiwan and Mandarin.

“When I spoke and sang in front of the students, I felt nervous, a little bit but I liked it. Speaking and singing Mandarin in front of them made me feel like I was telling them that learning Mandarin is fun, you know singing, dancing and of course the fact that Mandarin is totally a different language but is very important for Solomon Islanders to learn,” she said.

Honiara High students enjoying the presentation.

Li who will leave for Taiwan and return in August stated that she wants to take advantage of this trip and bring back some more interesting linguistic and cultural elements to share with students in Solomon Islands.

“It’s always my concern to motivate the students to learn, whether it’s the language, the culture, or anything that’s relevant to our world,” she said.

Li mentioned that while in Taiwan she also wants meet with Solomon Islands students who are currently in their first year of studying Mandarin.

She added that they were her students at SINU so she wants to see how they are progressing in their Mandarin learning as well as how they are adapting to the Taiwanese lifestyle and culture.

Li who is also fluent in French with a linguistic background looks forward to returning to the country with more interesting things to pass on to students.

“I look forward to coming back to Solomon Islands with refreshed energy to pass on to the students of the Hapi Isles,” she said.

Students from some of the schools Ms Li visited have all shown interest in learning the Mandarin language while picking up brief information about Taiwan and the Taiwanese culture.

Aiding and funding rural medical services in the Solomon Islands

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0

DEAR EDITOR, once again this year a mobile medical team is visiting the Solomon Islands and currently visiting Small Malaita for 8 days or so,

The medical team includes a neurosurgeon, a neurosurgeon specialist an infectious disease specialist, a general practitioner and a senior nurse.

The mobile medical mission will offer basic physician consultation and medical treatment to the people in the rural communities.

I offer my personal thanks and appreciation to the Taiwanese Embassy in Honiara and to the medical team for this visit assisting rural people with medical care.

I am mindful, however, that rural health needs of communities across the Solomon Islands are still greatly lacking and especially since most, if not all of the rural health centres or clinics have become derelict and are no longer in use. I think particularly of the lack of medical facilities at Tatamba in Isabelle Province and at Panueli on Russell Islands.

As far as I recall, the Solomons has approximately 22 doctors per 100,000 of the population, but also has a strong base of nurses and midwives at 205 per 100,000 of the population.

I read that in recent years there was a move to increase the number of doctors, with up to 25 foreign trained medical graduates returning each year, however, if that had come about, with minimal senior medical staff having adequate supervision as a junior doctor it would pose a challenge.

I believe Government expenditure on health rests at approximately 8.4 percent of the GDP, with non-government organizations and faith-based organisations contributing some funding and providing approximately 15 percent of outpatient and inpatient services.

While I acknowledge the Solomons has made significant progress in the past few decades with enabling rural service delivery, reducing malaria and improving infant and child health and has successfully increased the immunization rate for measles to 85 percent, and increased the number of births attended by qualified physicians to 86 percent much more needs to be done by the SIG to improve rural health care and especially in respect of restoring rural health facilities.

The Australian Government has continually funded health care services to the Solomon Islands and the Government of Israel promised help but health care is a fundamental human right and as such we must be extremely grateful for the intervention of medical teams from Taiwan and other regional countries.

Such help by visiting medical teams is essentially, however, “band-aid” and greater efforts must be devoted to basic health care and provisioning as I have said.

My personal view and, perhaps shared by others, is that direct targeted funding by Taiwan into the rural health sector instead of the manner in which all CDF money is currently contributed could do much to see tangible health gains in terms of restoring broken down health clinics and facilitating access to local nursing and aid services.

 

Yours sincerely

FRANK SHORT

Plan to set up business holding companies: Siale

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

CIP’s Provincial Secretary (PS), Christian Siale

CENTRAL Islands Province (CIP) is yet to start from suggestion as it is time Ngella and CIP islanders as a whole try setting up business holding companies to drive the private sector.

This is according to CIP’s Provincial Secretary (PS), Christian Siale.

For example if one has $10,000 and collect a thousand people and invest the money, the provincial government will offer a land for them to drive the private sector such as operating a touring company around Tulaghi. From such will create Ngella people having shares in companies.

“There is no competition at this stage but given the development right now, I am sure that in two years time, Tulaghi will regularly be a visited town by visitors to visit tourism sites and relics as the provincial government is quite serious about this one,” said the PS.

“We are now investing around $80,000 to upgrade all the World War II and heritage sites and also the access to them. You will notice that we have established a youth and women partnership in upholding the cleanliness of zones such as at the “Number One House area” (First British Residential High Commissioners house) in Tulaghi Township.

“Those are some of the initiatives we are working on. Though being very small by the province, we are also seeking NGO partners and funding to enhance more with those partnerships including landscaping and getting the right people to organise appealing presentation so that the value for the product and activities will come. That is at start right now with those sites.”

The PS clarified that the Tourism Division will market the initiative to have other funding coming in from the national Government and probably NGO’s on those areas to enhance further.

“As we understand the Provincial Government is limited with finance to service grants only, we are making the outermost use of the limited funds,” said the PS.

“The rest of the funds will have to come out from the Capital Funds of the main line ministries and that is subject to bidding and presentation bearing planning and budgeting queries with the mainline ministries.”

CIP’s Premier Hon Patrick Vasuni is urging landowners and communities of the rural areas to go forward to them in order to work together for a better future for the province.

Currently, the Central provincial government is embarking on a number of policy papers trying to translate to the policy paper of land partnership in order to have access to land with landowners.

This follows what will happen after the banning of logging in Ngella goes into place.

Second is the diversification of tourism by revitalising on it. This includes other private sector economic activities.

NSO rollout village census final phase

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0
Field enumerators for Central Islands Province go through the VRS questionnaire, GPS, household listing form and business in a debriefing session with NSO Senior Information Officer Joy Talo recently. Photos from SINSO Media
Field enumerators for Central Islands Province go through the VRS questionnaire, GPS, household listing form and business in a debriefing session with NSO Senior Information Officer Joy Talo recently. Photos from
SINSO Media

THE National Statistics Office (NSO) is rolling out the final phase of the Village Resource Survey & Household Listing 2017-2018 (VRS).

Commenced in mid May 2018, provinces that come under field enumerations for the 3rd phase (final phase) include; Western, Isabel, Central Islands, Malaita and Guadalcanal.

National VRS Director Raphael Aipaina said this is the survey’s final phase in terms of data collection and things would be wrapped up for data processing.

Mr Aipaina said the survey is rolling on well since it was commenced in October last year.

Other provinces that covered in the initial and second phase are:

  • Renbel province
  • Temotu province
  • Choiseul province
  • Honiara and
  • Makira province

The VRS and Household Listing 2017-2018 is the basis for 2019 Census enumeration areas (EA) demarcation.

Central Islands Province field enumerators in a debriefing session recently.

The survey (VRS) will play the role of assisting the Solomon Islands Government in providing quality data at the village level, which is essential, to see the impact of development, and guide its development efforts and policy – makers in the future, to improve the livelihood and standard of living for all Solomon Islanders.

The survey collects information on services to the village and include mapping and also collect information on the location of households by GPS and the number of people per household by gender.

The Solomon Islands Government (SIG) through the Ministry of Finance & Treasury (MoFT) is funding the VRS 2017/18 project.

–SINSO PRESS

SIPA and Taiwan’s maritime and port bureau sign MOU on maritime cooperation

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0
SIPA CEO Eranda Kotelawala (left) and his Taiwan counterpart, David W.J. Hsieh​ (Director General - Maritime Port Bureau of Taiwan) displaying the MOU after the signing ceremony

By Alfred Sasako

SIPA CEO Eranda Kotelawala (left) and his Taiwan counterpart, David W.J. Hsieh​ (Director General – Maritime Port Bureau of Taiwan) displaying the MOU after the signing ceremony.

SOLOMON Islands and Taiwan have sealed their intent to strengthen ties in the maritime industry, Solomon Islands Ports Authority (SIPA) Chief Executive Officer, Eranda Kotelawala, has announced.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the matter was signed between SIPA and its Taiwan counterpart, the Maritime and Port Bureau in Taipei two weeks ago.

The signing paved the way for training, trade and a host of other maritime-related activities between the two island nations.

Prime Minister Rick Houenipwela witnessed the signing which took place during his visit to Taipei last month.

SIPA’s Kotelawala told Island Sun yesterd

the scope of cooperation outlined in the MOU would enhance on-going activities in maritime cooperation between the two government-owned entities.

SIPA had already entered a separate cooperation agreement with the port city of Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan.

The latest MOU on maritime cooperation is between the Maritime and Port Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Solomon Islands Ports Authority, Ministry of Infrastructure Development (SIPA).

Prime Minister Houenipwela [left] and ROC’S Deputy Foreign Minister Hon. François Chih-Chung Wu [right] congratulate SIPA CEO Eranda Kotelawala and his Taiwan counterpart after the MOU signing on 24 May 2018
Kotelawala said the MOU’s scope of cooperation envisages:

  • Improvement in cooperation between the parties in the spheres of training, development of human resources and commercial port operation;
  • Encourages shipping lines to establish trade routes between Taiwan and Solomon Islands;
  • Promotes trade facilitation, and strengthen the ties between the Parties; and
  • Participate in the activities of common approach to international organisations and maritime related associations,

The MoU between the two parties was signed in Taipei, Taiwan on May 24, 2018. It was designed to strengthen ties between the two countries in their collaborations in different spheres in the maritime industry.

Kotelawala said the signing was witnessed by Prime Minister Houenipwela and ROC’S Deputy Foreign Minister Hon François Chih-Chung Wu.

St John school parent decries ‘suspension without warning’ action

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA.

ST John school is being questioned by parents over the school’s decision to suspend two students without warning over chewing betel nut.

A parent of one of the suspended children, speaking to Island Sun on condition of anonymity for fear of negative repercussions to his child, labels St John school’s action as ‘unprecedented, harsh and unfair’.

The parent believes that the two students should have been given a warning since it was their ‘first time to breach that school rule over betel nut chewing’ and ‘that rule is trivial and does not warrant such a harsh consequence’.

“The two students had been reported as chewing betel nut, which they did so but without using lime.

“And, many students had been seen chewing betel nut and smoking in their uniform and out of it, but have never received such harsh treatment by the school. Why should these two students receive different treatment?” the parent asks.

With examinations coming up next week, the parent said the suspension will affect his child.

Principal of St John School Mr Peter Misiga when responding to Island Sun on Wednesday at first was surprised why the parent chose his freedom of expression to go the media rather than going straight to the school to solve the matter.

Misiga expressed going to the media will not solve his problem but only create a way for more problems.

The displeased Principal says the action taken by the parent is not showing good responsibility.

“Respect for the school uniform and school are some of the areas we stand on. It is part of learning to be good responsible people going into the future,” said Misiga.

“We do not stop chewing betel-nut, if students do it at home then it is acceptable being part of this country’s culture but when under the school hour is against the rules.

“Since the beginning of this year, we have announced the school rules leading to this present reminding students every now and then of actions that will be taken against anyone caught involved in such activities.”

He elaborated that the issue of students being ill disciplined nowadays in schools is at a high rate and parents too should be responsible in teaching their children at home to be responsible citizens.

For such, the School Principal is not comfortable and says he will be raising such attitudes by parents to the School Administration and Board.

Misiga strongly makes a call for the concerned parent to address them at the school being a reminder for other parents of the school when such matter occurs, as the situation will only be solved there.

Maori welcome & 19 gun salute for Hou in NZ

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0
PM Hou inspects the Guard of Honour
PM Hou inspects the Guard of Honour

PRIME Minister Rick Houenipwela has arrived in New Zealand for his State visit to the country.

The Prime Minister was given the traditional Maori welcome and was honoured with 19 gun salute before inspecting the Royal New Zealand Airforce Guard of Honour at the Government House yesterday morning.

Houenipwela also held a bilateral with his New Zealand counterpart Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

During the bilateral meeting, issues based on the relations between both countries were raised.

Speaking during the meeting, the New Zealand Prime Minister reaffirmed New Zealand’s commitment to supporting Solomon Islands’ development aspirations and goals.

She also highlighted the “Pacific Reset” and what it means for New Zealand engaging more with the Pacific.

Ardern further raised regional issues of importance that needs a collective effort and support from Pacific Island countries including Solomon Islands.

Arden also made an announcement on her Government’s approval for a Prime Minister Fellowship for Melanesia initiative to provide for opportunities for young aspiring scholars from Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea.

Prime Minister Hou and Prime Minister Arden during an official photo session.

In response, Prime Minister Houenipwela reiterated the close friendship and relationship that Solomon Islands has with New Zealand and stating that “it is one that stretches well before both countries establish diplomatic relations in 1978”.

The Prime Minister further acknowledged New Zealand being an important partner in regional security and development cooperation.

Houenipwela stated that Solomon Islands welcomes New Zealand’s new policy approach known as the Pacific Reset stating that it underscores the important and strong connection that New Zealand has with Pacific Island countries.

“For Solomon Islands, more focus within the region is something that Solomon Islands look forward to by engaging more with New Zealand, seek more opportunities that both countries would benefit from and so forth.”

Following the bilateral, members of the media were given the opportunity to hear from and ask the two leaders on the outcomes of the meeting and other issues.

Houenipwela was also given the opportunity to visit the Auckland War Memorial Museum and made a presentation to members of the New Zealand Pacific Business Council.

–OPMC PRESS

Australia’s PM looks forward to Hou’s visit

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0
Austrialia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnball and Solomon Islands' Prime MInister Rick Houenipwela.

AUSTRALIA’S Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced anticipation of his Solomon Islands counterpart’s visit to Canberra on June 9.

In a press statement by the Australian High Commission in Honiara yesterday, Mr Turnbull said, “I look forward to welcoming The Honourable Rick Houenipwela MP, Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, to Australia from 9 to 15 June.

“We value our strong and enduring friendship with Solomon Islands, and work as partners to ensure stability, security and prosperity in the Pacific region.

“Our development assistance to Solomon Islands is Australia’s third largest bilateral aid program, with a special focus on improving health and education.

“The Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) supported peace and stability in Solomon Islands for 14 years and our commitment to Solomon Islands continues today.

“This visit provides an opportunity to discuss shared challenges, and to strengthen our bilateral relationship as well as our cooperation across the region.”

This is Prime Minister Houenipwela’s first official visit to Australia as Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Houenipwela will be accompanied by Madame Rachel Houenipwela and will travel to Brisbane, Bundaberg, Sydney and Canberra as part of the visit.

–AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSION PRESS

Food prices continue falling

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0

FOOD prices in Honiara continue to fall with 0.03 percent drop recorded for April 2018.

The National Statistics Office (NSO) latest Honiara Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the month of April 2018 has revealed.

CPI is a monthly indicator of the variation in prices for retail goods and other items.

The basket of goods chosen represents the spending behaviour of the population of Honiara and the resulting CPI is used to calculate inflation.

Government Statistician (GS) Douglas Kimi while releasing the official statistics on Thursday May 31, 2018 said the slight fall was 0.03 percent from 194.7 in March to 194.6.

He said the price fall was mainly driven by price drops in Drinks and Tobacco, and Household Operation categories of the index, which outweighed price increases in Food, and Housing and Utilities sub-indexes.

“The Food index went up during the month by 0.9 percent to 181.9. This was mainly driven by price rises in sugar 3.1 percent, and fresh fruits and vegetables sold at the Honiara market; most notable were bush cabbage 25.8 percent, pawpaw 22.0 percent, tomatoes 20.7 percent, fern cabbage 17.0 per cent, cooking banana 3.1percent, green coconut 1.9 percent, spring onion 8.2 percent and green pepper 8.6 percent. These outweighed price drops in dry coconuts -23.5 percent, melon -14.2 percent, Chinese cabbage -8.4 percent, cucumber -7.2 percent, kumara heaps -6.9 percent, cassava -1.6 percent, green bean -0.7 percent, bush lime -8.3 percent and non-alcoholic beverages -0.3 percent to result in the slight rise of the overall food index,” Mr Kimi stated.

Other major changes in other sub-indexes include;

  • Drinks and Tobacco fell 6.7 percent driven by a 1.6 percent and 20.3 percent price drop in tobacco and betel nut, respectively.
  • Clothing and Footwear fell 0.2 percent on account of a 3.1 percent drop in footwear prices.
  • Housing and Utilities went up 0.8 percent largely driven by a 3.5 percent increase in electricity charges.
  • Household Operations dropped 0.2 percent driven by price falls in household cleaning products, notably soap.
  • Miscellaneous Items fell 1.4 percent resulting from drops in the prices of toiletries.

Kimi said apart from the above, price movements elsewhere in the consumption basket were negligible.

“The main underlying rates of inflation based on a 3 months moving average for the month of April 2018 were observed between 0.0 percent and 2.9 percent while the headline inflation rate was at 3.9 percent,” he said.

–SINSO PRESS

1...1,3521,3531,354...1,683Page 1,353 of 1,683