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Cabinet sub-committee moves 2023 SP Games to reality

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Chair of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on the 2023 Pacific Games Hon. Steve Abana

BY ALFRED SASAKO

Chair of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on the 2023 Pacific Games Hon. Steve Abana

A Cabinet sub-committee appointed by Prime Minister Rick Houenipwela to negotiate resources for hosting of the 2023 South Pacific by Solomon Islands has moved the multi-million project a step closer.

Insiders told Island Sun yesterday the sub-committee, headed by Steve Abana MP, was appointed last March after it was found the Ministry of Home Affairs has “done nothing in the last 10 months” to secure resources including land and financing for the Games.

“As a result of non-performance and non-productivity, the Office of the Prime Minister has taken over the responsibility for the Games. Consequently, Hon Abana was appointed to head the Cabinet sub-committee for the 2023 Games,” one insider told Island Sun.

“The Abana committee has moved mountains in the last two months in terms of securing resources for the Games. It has secured much of the funding as well as land for the two-week sporting bonanza,” Insiders said.

It has for example secured land from the Solomon Islands National University (SINU) Panatina Campus as well as from King George VI School for the construction of a 7,000-seat national stadium as well as for field tracks.

The stakeholders (SIG, SINU and KGVI) were due to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Honiara yesterday. The MOU paves the way for the initial scoping and construction work to start.

The MOU signing will be followed by the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement [MOA] between the SIG and each of the stakeholders, that is, SINU and KG VI.

The MOA will set out the parameters of responsibility as well as sealing the agreement that all the facilities would be retained by SINU and KG VI once the Games were over.

A scoping team from Taiwan is due to arrive later this month (May) to help do the preparatory work, Island Sun was told.

Meanwhile Indonesia is believed to have offered bridging funds for the infrastructure for the Games, estimated around USD14 million.

The funding offer is expected to be discussed between Prime Minister Houenipwela and the Indonesian President during bilateral talks later this year.

Prime Minister is believed to have accepted the offer but this could not be independently confirmed.

Call for ward 12 by-election

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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BY LYNTON AARON FILIA

RESIDENTS of Ward 12 in East Honiara are calling on responsible authorities to explain the by-election which has been promised them two years ago.

Outspoken Chief for Borderline Community, Mr Steven Firibae calls on the Honiara City Council and Ministry of Home Affairs to speed up the by-election because, he says, social and development issues are increasing in ward 12.

He said Ward 12 since the death of late Mr Richard Safue has been neglected and forgotten.

“Our rights has been neglected that the HCC and Ministry responsible are not taking into consideration.

“Now ward 12, there is rubbish everywhere, deteriorating roads, and social issues are increasing which affects their accessibility to health and educational services.

“We are tax payers and we need services, at the moment there is no service from the HCC and we are not enjoying the services HCC should provide to us.”

Firibae said ward 12 in east Honiara has a population of around 20,000 and they want a leader to represent them at the local government to channel their voices and concerns.

Meanwhile, HCC said it has no budget allocation for any by-election this year, and its financial year budget for 2018 has already been passed.

A HCC Officer tells Island Sun that the Division responsible had advised HCC’s financial department regarding the by-election issue since 2016, but nothing fruitful has come of it.

At the moment, Ministry of Home Affairs will not support because $150,000 had already been sent to HCC in 2016 for the by-election.

Now the responsibility is given to HCC to face every cost related to the by-election, the HCC Officer explained.

60-yr-old arrested for alleged rape

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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POLICE at Lata in Temotu province have arrested a 60-year-old man from Naban Village in Santa Cruz Island on April 12, 2018 for the alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl from the same village on four separate occasions in 2017.

Provincial Criminal Investigation Officer (PCIO), Sergeant Ezekiel Menoia says, “Police here at the Lata Police Station have charged the man with three counts of alleged sexual intercourse with a child under 18 years old and one count of alleged indecent act on a child under 18 years with three other related charges.

“The accused was remanded at the Lata Correctional Centre while investigations continue but has now been released on principal bail on April 24, 2018 while he waits to appear in the Lata Magistrates Court at the end of May this year.

“In the light of what seems to be a certain level of increase in such offences in our communities throughout the country, I want to strongly appeal to parents and guardians to take good care of our children especially our young daughters.

“Ensure we know where they are and who they are with at all times. The safety of our children is paramount.”

Police in Temotu are continuing to investigate similar allegations and suspects will be arrested and charged when there is enough evidence.

The maximum penalty for anyone found guilty of sexual assault is life imprisonment.

–POLICE MEDIA

Pay rise for HCC employees

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Chairman of Finance Cr. Eric Tema.
Chairman of Finance Cr. Eric Tema.

HONIARA City Council employees will be receiving an 8 percent pay increase.

This has been confirmed by the Chairman of Finance Eric Tema following a recommendation approved by the Finance Standing Committee.

“The increase of salary was an in depth deliberation by the members of the Standing Committee and the recommendation of 8 percent increase was a favourable percentage,” Tema said.

“After all the deliberation the committee has agreed on the 8 percent increase on the salaries and to be awarded and backdated to 1st January as part of the establishment,” he added.

Tema said they have seen the need to increase the salary for the employees as this has not been done for quite a long time.

This has come as a relief for the employees given the tough financial burdens faced with the increase of the high cost of living.

–HCC PRESS

Western province collects basic rates

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Jeffrey Wickham Member for ward 16 in Western Province.

By Mike Puia

Gizo

FOR the first time the Western provincial government will collect basic rates.

Capacity prevented the province from collecting basic rates in the past years resulting in the province losing huge revenue.

According to the Provincial Secretary, Jeffery Wickham, the province now has people to collect basic rates, which means the province is expecting an increase in its revenue collection.

“The province has been unable to collect basic rates in the past because it had no one to do the job. Now, we have people,” Wickham said.

Wickham said someone will be responsible for collecting basic rates in Gizo and another will responsible for collecting in Noro and Munda.

He said around end of June, the provincial government will issue a notice to the public, groups and entities concerning this basic rate.

Wickham said this rate will be paid to the provincial government.

He said those who fail to pay this rate could face the courts as this is a violation to the provincial ordinances.

Airbus still in maintenance hangar

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

SOLOMON Airlines Airbus A320 aircraft is still in the Maintenance Hangar in Singapore.

According to Mr Colin Sigimanu the Manager Commercial for Solomon Airlines Ltd, the C-Check has taken a bit longer than expected basically because they have been waiting on spare parts for one of the engines.

“It is difficult to source the engine parts due to a global shortage but we are hoping to have the aircraft back in service by the end of May,” said Sigimanu.

In the meantime, Sigimanu said Nauru Airlines will continue to operate international schedules on Solomon Airlines’ behalf.

Early this year, it was reported that the down time for this maintenance period was four weeks but on seeing that it has already reached April had raised the query of the maintenance update over the A320 aircraft.

Provincial agriculture work affected

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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By Mike Puia

Gizo

THE national government’s cut to line ministries’ budgets appears to have crippled provincial branches.

Provincial agriculture extension offices are being hard hit.

According to the Western provincial agriculture extension branch, based in Gizo, most of its programmes have been stalled because of lack of funding.

“According to our programmes we should have tours to other parts of the province. This has not happened because we have no funding to cater for fuel,” John Kepas, Principal Field Officer for the agriculture extension office in Gizo, said.

Kepas said their office usually travels of other parts of the province and conduct awareness and share information with farmers and help do monitoring and evaluation.

He said they have other plans but because of funding unavailability they could not implement them.

Since the national government’s announcement of a major cut to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development’s budget, he said their office is unable to do its work.

Even with that, Kepas said their office in Gizo is open to farmers who may need the support of the office.

“Since we are unable to go out to the rural areas, farmers can still come to our Gizo office and seek our support,” Kepas said.

Malaita under audit

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Several ‘financial anomalies’ prompts request for check

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

Auki

THE Malaita province’s account section is bound to be audited soon after some discrepancies were discovered, it is reported.

A request has been submitted by the province for an internal audit following ‘financial anomalies’ experienced by the accounts section.

In an interview Malaita provincial secretary, Mr Jackson Gege, he affirmed having made the request to the national ministry of finance after “identifying things not really going well within the accounts section”.

He said one of the main points of concern is a problem Malaita province has with its disclaimer, which he did not elaborate on.

Gege adds that another of their complications is the difficulty faced with reconciliation.

He describes the situation as ‘seem really mess in the account office’.

“Because it was identified that within the account section there is no financial stability, as finance is going up and down.

“This is the reason we called for the audit to find out the reason for that financial fluctuation,” he said.

Gege said regarding the audit exercise, a special audit will first be carried out in specific areas within the accounts section which have been observed to have these ‘financial anomalies’.

A normal audit follows suit.

Gege assures that the audit is a mechanism which will ‘straighten the accounts section and tighten it up’.

He adds that the audit is part of the provincial government’s desire to see Malaita progress into a new chapter of prosperity and fulfillment of its aspirations.

The audit team from the national ministry of finance is expected in Auki in the first week of May.

Ola Fou students welcome SI board members

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Solomon Islands Ola Fou board members during their welcome dinner.

By Francis Sivita

Solomon Islands Ola Fou board members during their welcome dinner.

OLA Fou students from Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Vanuatu welcomed the SI board members on Saturday.

After the long sessions from Thursday up to Saturday the students gathered together to rehearse and prepare a welcome ceremony for their board members.

The welcome programme started with a chorus sung by the students in Bislama pidgin and a traditional Maori call from one of their teachers. A short welcome speech was presented by one of the staff members.

One of the board members expressed her joy hearing the chorus sung in Bislama pidgin.

It shows how the students worked together despite their differences.

She on behalf of the board members welcomed the fellow students from Vanuatu and Kiribati.

After the welcome speeches, dinner was served and the board members mingled with the students enjoying their dinner and listened to speeches from their teachers and board members.

One of the students said that after the teachers assessed their last works they should have their graduation tomorrow.

Ola Fou programme in the Solomons

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Ola Fou diploma students from Vanuatu and Kiribati doing their last presentation on saturday

By Francis Sivita

Ola Fou diploma students from Vanuatu and Kiribati doing their last presentation on Saturday

OLA Fou students of Solomon Islands welcomed their friends from Vanuatu and Kiribati on Thursday last week at the SWIM compound, east of Honiara.

After the traditional welcome they continued with their normal programme up to Saturday where the diploma students got into groups and did their last presentation.

According to one of the diploma students, the Ola Fou programme was first held here in Honiara with few participants from the local communities surrounding Honiara.

He said from the first students it was then localised to Western and Malaita province and that is when he and few other locals joined.

He added that graduating with an Ola Fou certificate allows one to work in any Pacific country.

Speaking to one of the diploma students from Santo Vanuatu he said the Ola Fou programme really gives positive impacts to their communities back home especially on the youths.

He also expressed how privileged he was to be here in the Solomons.

He said being here really helped in his studies, where he learnt that some of the traditional values here are similar while some are different to his.

With the differences, he says it helps him solve some issues he faces in his community.

The Ola Fou programme is from New Zealand and with the help of one of the United Church members who came to Solomon Islands six years ago.

Ola Fou is part of Praxis – an educational organisation operating in the Pacific Islands, New Zealand and Australia.

Ola Fou means ‘new life’, it is an educational initiative aimed at supporting Pacific based youth workers to develop their leadership skills and gain a qualification around working with young people in their community.

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