Simon’s Place where the Pakistani national had left his passport.
BY GEORGINA KEKEA
PACIFIC journalists currently in Tonga for the 5th Pacific Media Summit were confused and shocked when they were being questioned by a Tongan police officer about a Pakistani national who had been living in Tonga for almost two months now.
Last night, local Tongan police took into custody a Pakistani national who was reported to be acting weird in one of the hotels, close to the Nukua’lofa airport.
Upon questioning by the police to show his passport, the Pakistani national said he had left his passport at the Simon’s Place, another hotel in Nukualofa.
So the police brought him to Simon’s Place where some of the Pacific Journalists to the Media Summit were based.
“At first I thought the police officer was joking when he said they had brought a person that might be very dangerous,” a journalist from Fiji said.
However it turned out that it was no joke and that the person of interest might be dangerous.
Staff at Simon’s Place said the guy didn’t bring much and they didn’t think much of his behaviour until the police showed up with him to retrieve his passport.
It seems that he hasn’t paid his bill at the other hotel and he had in his bag, only women’s clothes.
The journalists say it was very odd and most seem quite upset that their quiet Sunday evening had just been ruined by this episode.
“I hope the police here in Tonga will be able to handle this case and clear the air for us. I feel threatened already and that my security here has been compromised,” said the journalist.
Two female Australians working in the hospital in Tonga were also with the journalists when the police questioned the journalists about the person of interest.
Everyone were quite distressed and didn’t know what to think.
After the police left with the Pakistani national, the women sat and contemplate the events of the evening.
Most only hoped the issue will be sorted out and not that serious or to the effect as being said by the police officer.
Local farmers drying its cocoa beans—photo courtesy PHAMA
BY LYNTON AARON FILIA
Local farmers drying its cocoa beans—photo courtesy PHAMA
SOLOMON Islands cocoa is in high demand in the global market due to its quality, it is reported.
This growth in popularity is said to be contributing significantly to the national and rural economy.
Country’s annual cocoa competition is also contributing to raising the profile of the cocoa industry and successfully promoting it nationally and internationally.
Outcome from the competition also promotes country’s cocoa quality in the global market which brings overseas cocoa buyers to source cocoa from Solomon Islands.
Business Advisor SolChoc Festival coordinator, Mr Brown Onahikeni said the number cocoa competition entries have increased each year since 2016.
He adds there is a tremendous interest from buyers overseas as a result to samples sent to the boutique market.
Onahikeni said in 2016 from the 85 samples sent to the boutique market 1.9 metric tonnes (mt) were exported, 30.9mt in 2017 and 26.8mt in April this year.
He explained Solomon Islands cocoa is unique to international buyers because it comes with deep and exotic flavours.
“Cocoa industry contributes significantly to the rural and national economy especially for women and children in our rural area, and about 22 percent of rural household produce cocoa,” Onahikeni said.
Currently, the country’s main buyers are Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States of America.
Cocoa is an important export earner and source of rural livelihoods with 75 percent of export returns retained by producers.
20,000-25,000 small holder farmers and their households are involved in production.
More than 50 percent of producers and processors are women, who are involved in growing and harvesting, but have a more limited role in the fermenting and drying of cocoa beans.
According to PHAMA, 4000 –5000 tonnes are produced annually, mainly by smallholders.
PHAMA said cocoa is one of Solomon Islands’ biggest agricultural export earners, generating around USD$15 million in exports per year.
PHAMA adds most exports go to the lower quality and priced, bulk processing markets in Asia, although small exports to niche chocolate makers in Australia and New Zealand are increasing.
PHAMA said rising global demand, particularly in Asia, is expected to mean international prices continue to increase over the long term.
As consumer tastes change, there is also growing demand for high quality, single origin cocoa to make dark chocolate bars, PHAMA said.
Minister for Fisheries and Marine Resources, John Maneniaru and his delegation is greeted on arrival at Noro playing field by Western Province deputy premier and provincial staff
NORO Township in the Western province came alive on Friday and Saturday when the country’s tuna town celebrated this year’s World Tuna Day.
This is the seventh year Noro has hosted activities to mark world tuna day. The theme of this year’s event was “smart tuna, smart ocean”.
Government officials and other important dignitaries from Honiara including Soltuna staff also witness the event. Minister for Fisheries and Marine Resources, John Maneniaru, delivered the event’s keynote address.
The two days event started with a float and a colourful parade. Workers at Noro’s cannery and National Fisheries Development (NFD) fishing fleets as well as students from schools in and around Noro joined the parade.
Despite wet weather during day one of the event, it does not disperse hundreds that turn up to witness the event. There were activities like a dish competition, queen show and a speech contest held during the celebration. Corporate stalls and group and food stalls were also set up in the Noro playing field.
Maneniaru said everyone that involved in the fishing sector need to act smart to get maximum benefits from tuna and the ocean. He said team work is key.
He said tuna presents opportunities ahead since logging is phasing out.
He thanked workers in the Noro cannery and NFD’s fishing fleets for making Noro cannery operate well which benefited the social and economic development of the province and country.
Maneniaru said tuna has created jobs, create education and economic opportunities for locals.
NFD’s General Manager, Frank Wickham, said the colourful parade is a powerful expression of the multiplier benefits tuna offered to this country.
Wickham said besides creating jobs, business opportunities and contributing to national income, tuna unites the country’s diverse culture.
He said the theme of the event is a reminder for those in the industry to be smart in managing tuna and the ocean to ensure sustainability.
I have enjoyed my time here and happy to find out that I will continue my internship with the Building and Maintenance Department, which eventually am a permanent employee now. he said.
IT is late in the afternoon in the middle of the week and most young people in Honiara are either still in school, at the bus stops heading home, congregating at the market stalls over loud African music or lumped up in a corner skimming Island Sun newspaper for vacant job opportunities.
For 19-year-old Leonard Pitu, this afternoon is different. Today Pitu is on a scaffold two metres off the ground stacking bricks. Armed with a level and mortar, he slowly adds a form to the structure; a brick wall that will soon be a two-storey apartment complex which will belong to Prestige International, at Ngossi.
The young lad worked tirelessly with a team of older, experienced construction workers and he didn’t seem to complain about the afternoon heat of the beating sun nor the task given to him.
Leonard Pitu works in the Building and Maintenance Department of Prestige International (SI).
Pitu did not undergo any technical form of construction training. “All of this is from look and learn”, he said when he came down for a short break and a quick interview.
One of the main tasks Leornard is happy to work on.
Pitu shared his early experience of when he started working and his dependency on the patience of his supervisors to help him out.
“I was confused on how to read different units and it was a challenge for me as discrepancies in measurements cannot be afforded here at the construction site.
“Now I have a better understanding and technical experience on how to lay bricks for different buildings or structures.
“My duties here include mixing of cement, laying bricks and doing other small jobs assigned by my supervisors.
“After a week hands-on training with the team, I improved on my technical skills and knowledge.”
When asked why he wanted a constructions job instead of an office job like most youth would prefer, Leonard responded that “it was out of interest”.
I have enjoyed my time here and happy to find out that I will continue my internship with the Building and Maintenance Department, which eventually am a permanent employee now. he said.
Speaking of his former years, Pitu recalled, “I dropped out of high school, stayed back in the village and assisted in a business owned by my family, selling fish.”
Around the same time Pitu was helping out at the fish shop, he would often at times lend a hand with construction work.
Pitu then became fond of this trade and wanted to expand his knowledge and skills in building houses.
“I heard about Y@W back in 2017 and then decided I would like to give it a shot. So I got registered in 2017.
“There are limited chances for a school dropout to find work so when I was given this chance with Y@W internship programme, I had to make the most of it,” he pointed out.
Leonard revealed that when he was part of Y@W he gained a lot of positive things that helped him get to where he is now.
“Being a high school dropout I suffered from depression and low esteem and could not relate well to people who are older than me,” he said.
“Most times I find it hard to speak my mind or contribute to conversations with older people, in any discussion or a mere conversation,” the young lad recalls.
“It was during one of the pre-employment training facilitated by the Y@W program that I learnt about low self-esteem and how it can affect a person at work. So I always try to have a positive outlook on life and embrace challenges I faced at my work,” he said with a smile.
“Now I can easily talk to people as I have learnt a few tips from the training on how to communicate effectively,” he said.
With the interest that Leonard Pitu has in building and maintanance he was able to develop it through on hands training.
Pitu also found that work ethic is another important trait a worker must possess.
“I am happy that I am aware of how I should conduct myself at work, to respect my supervisors and always ask questions if not sure of anything,” he confessed.
“Technical language was a barrier for me. Also because my colleagues are qualified and experienced, some mornings they would arrive and start working on their tasks and I would just sit around waiting for them to assign me a task.
“Eventually, I guess my boss noticed my awkward situations so he arranged a social gathering and we all came together, ate and talked. After that, we were able to get along pretty well and I enjoyed working with them.
“I have enjoyed my time here and happy to find out that I will continue my internship with the Building and Maintenance Department, which eventually am a permanent employee now,” he said.
Mr Geoff Kaka, Managing Director for the Prestige International, commends the young lad’s effort and contribution to the new construction project.
Kaka believes that every young person who comes to work as an employee, regardless of what age should magnify the quality they bring with them.
“You are either a leader; a doer; or a follower” is one of Mr Kaka’s quotes which he made sure to make emphasis on.
He said, “I know Leonard came to work here as a way to culture his interest among the experienced construction workers and because of his hard work and the attitude to accept correction supplemented by his eagerness to learn, I think in the long run Leonard can contribute more to the company.”
Chocolate varieties being displayed yesterday at the launching of the SolChoc festival in Honiara.
BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO
THE 2018 Solomon Islands Cocoa and Chocolate (SolChoc) Festival launching yesterday illustrates forged partnerships between development partners, non-governmental organisations, Government and private sector.
This event was organised by the Strongim Bisnis organisation in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, the Commodities Export Marketing Authority (CEMA), Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI), the Pacific and Horticulture Market Access Programme (PHAMA), the Rural Development Programme (DAP) and the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA).
Guest speaker, Prime Minister Rick Houenipewela officially launched the 2018 SolChoc festival.
Speaking during the event he said this is an illustration of players working together in ensuring the SolChoc festival happened.
“This is an excellent illustration of an achieved forged partnership between development partners, non-governmental organisations the government and private sector.
“Also it does point to the great potential that one crop such coca can do to this country’s social and economic development efforts and endeavours.”
Hou said yesterday’s occasion was also a time to reflect and appreciate the potential of cocoa to the nation’s economy.
He said the cocoa industry is an important building block in diversifying the country’s export base and to Solomon Islands’ economy more generally in the future.
The Australian High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, HE Roderick Brazier congratulated the country’s cocoa industry, adding that it is great to see international chocolate makers, cocoa buyers and representatives being part of the celebration.
He said the production of quality dried cocoa beans from Solomon Islands for the international market has the capacity to increase incomes, create employment and improve the wellbeing of cocoa-producing communities in the country.
DEAR EDITOR, the status of the Renbel Chamber Project is quite interesting and at the same time raised a lot of eye brows, speculations and suspicious.
Firstly, the Project has been pending for quite long time.
Last year 2017 was tendered out and so happened that contractors from Renbel have applied, except the contractor who was awarded the construction of that Mini Hospital at Tigoa.
This contractor was not applied as was busy with this project.
Interestingly, the award was never happened, until these poor contractors have surprisingly saw the re-advertisement notice again this year without any word of explanation as to why was the project was delayed.
If the fund was there, then who are we waiting?
Or do we wait for that Mini Hospital Project at Tiggoa to complete?
I don’t want to believe, but I was informed that the Renbel Chamber Project was pre-arranged already and that was the main reason behind this long delay.
Nevertheless, the tender will be closed on Monday 7 May 2018, and I believe there is still room to reconsider those kind of corruption practices or the pre-arrangement for inducement payment which is commonly practiced in the SIG sector now.
On that note, may I speak as a Rennell and Bellona Indigenous.
Whether those who have been mandated to administer this project from the national government and perhaps the province do realize or like it or not, this is unquestionable and that is this is our project and our share in the national distribution, and definitely our contractors from Renbel deserved this employment opportunity.
We need this employment opportunity just as much as we need this infrastructures development in our province.
Secondly, I understand that this is a national project and it is an open tender. However, having said that, this is more than just a common sense.
Unless we are totally incapable or not interest, my conscience tells me that the project should reserve for the original and based contractors from Rennell and Bellona.
Or even the issue of main contractor and the associate, at least both must be from Rennell and Bellona Province.
In add, to the national and provincial government, how can we expect our people in Rennell and Bellona to build up its capacity as you always advocated, if this opportunity is taken away, then what is the Institutional Strengthening?
What does it mean to capacitate our people?
How can you capacitate our people here in Renbel while such opportunity cannot be given to them?
To our Provincial and our National Leader, we cannot afford to lose all these opportunities.
We have lost the opportunity of having an additional constituency from some few very selfish leaders in our community, dreaming that they will remain in those offices for everlasting life?
Where are they now?
Please, do not repeat the same mistake.
Let alone our differences, and challenges, I urge you to be more diplomat, mature and be professional in our decision making and allow our province and constituency to process and move forward with our own resources.
At least Rennell and Bellona is a small community and I understand that we all know exactly as who we are. Unless you just come home, I know we are very familiarize with all our people so as our contractors here in Rennell and Bellona province, and even you should know by hard, who are the failed and who are the successful contractors here in Renbel Province.
Again, you don’t need to do any research to find out who they are. Of course, it will be very unfair for those successful contractors to be penalize simply because of someone else failure.
Likewise, I hope you don’t want to be assessed using other people’s weakness or failure, aren’t you?
Finally to the Premier, I appeal that you defend your people, no matter what.
I strongly believe that you have been voted in for such a time, for we cannot afford to lose this opportunity, as was happened to the additional constituency issue, as well our Mini Hospital Project.
DEAR EDITOR, the mining issue in Santa Cruz, Temotu province has become at the peak of discussion both in the village, the outskirt of Lata Township and even in the social media.
The anti – miners and the pro – miners have been arguing in words through social media and other media Recently when the pro – miners clients arrived in Lata the anti – miners which mostly the land owners of Santa Cruz set up a road block to avoid the pro – miners and their clients from going further inland.
Mining will bring a great devastation to a large mass of land. Taking into accounts the environmental impacts that the mining will cause which includes, erosion, formation of sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, and contamination of soil, groundwater and surface water by chemicals from mining processes.
Problem that landowners will experience is poor soil fertility for cultivation of land for gardening.
As once a rural dweller living on subsistence agriculture, I call on the pro – miners and their clients to withdraw their plan of mining on Santa Cruz because after they left, it will us the landowners who will suffer those negative impacts left behind.
DEAR EDITOR, this article is not intended to sling mud on whosoever, but rather swayed towards putting things in perspective, to say the least.
Solomon Islands has a chequered history when it comes to environmental damage caved by illusive logging companies.
Examples are many nationwide but gone unfretted. And this espouses one at our own backyard.
In a frantic move to elude itself from its financial obligations due to disgruntled landowners, a logging firm operating in our ward – precisely with its camp at Fote Village in West Kwara’ae, Malaita – hastily left leaving behind an environmental scar.
A rusty-iron tank containing fuel leaked unabatedly on the shoreline as it was heaved onto a waiting barge.
One could just imagine what its effects on marine life ever since – horrendous presumably.
Sadly though, the spill may have been played down unless the matter is brought to attention.
The irony is that the drama unfolded right in front of the very eyes of the authorities, police whilst hapless locals startled with perplexity.
One thing, at the outset, is becoming eminent: incidents of these sorts are becoming common, despite laws in place, where authorities seemed to turn a blind eye on environmental damage to economic gain – which is so contentious in logging.
This profoundly resonates the notion of “Who guides the guardians?” A subtle deity often mooted of ruling elites in the Pacific Island countries.
Understandably, in a pecking order, logging is one of the ‘cash-cow’ industries in terms of revenue (30 – 40 percent) towards government coffers.
A significant percentage where even our renowned policy strategists over the years have yet to come to grips with it in the event of a sudden fallout.
Meantime, the way things are now, the government is hell-bent than ever in ensuring the industry’s operations remain unscathed at all costs!
Until such a time when logging comes to an end (unlikely), its prolongation will inevitably rue us of our forest resources, and moreso, proliferates the escalation of climate change.
Invariably, our country is one of the most vulnerable due to its many inhabited low-lying islands. God forsakes us when this mayhem takes its toll.
Amid all these madness, one thing is certain: economic gain in isolation is dysfunctional to the optimal equilibrium in the development matrix of a nation. What it really does is the opposite.
It entrenches our country more into the trappings of a society caught up in a quagmire of “natural states” where institutions are fragile – ushering it onto a path anecdotal to a ‘failed state’.
The more we go down this path, the more we bring misery to our very own people.
DEAR EDITOR, as a first year law student and a citizen of Solomon Islands, I am concerned about the alarming rate of increased unemployment faced by many young people today.
Unemployment is currently an issue in the Solomon as lack of job opportunities are available to accommodate many youths who are capable of developing our country to the next level.
Today, my heart cries because I’ve seen many young people engaging in social activities such as drugs, alcohol and other activities which no doubt doesn’t contribute at all to the development of the country.
This is really depressing as I know these youths can do better and they can create change for the next generation, instead they’re still lost in this social world.
Providing as much support as possible to our youths is an alternative that I believe will encourage them that their future is not within these social activities, rather, there’s a spirit exist in them trying to make them become better people but they’re just too blind to see it coming.
I urge every young people of Solomon Islands that wherever you are today; if you are on the right road; pursue your dreams and goals, if you are still lost it is never too late to start where you left and slowly creating your destiny because we are the future of Solomon Islands.
Therefore, we don’t have to blame the government for not providing job opportunities for everyone.
If we have the knowledge, understanding and skills to pursue what we’re good at, job opportunities will come running at our doorsteps and when that happens just smile and thank yourself for the effort you’ve put in and most importantly; thank the Lord.
Chocolate girls of the 2018 SolChoc festival with samples of chocolate during the launching on Thursday
BY MAVIS NSIHIMURA PODOKOLO
Chocolate girls of the 2018 SolChoc festival with samples of chocolate during the launching on Thursday
TWENTY two percent of Solomon Islands rural households are reportedly involved in cocoa production.
This was revealed yesterday by Prime Minister Rick Houenipwela, who agrees that this is a significant portion of the country’s population.
Hou said there has been a steady increase in cocoa exports over the past few years which indicates the SI cocoa industry has a bright future.
“With this we can improve both the number of cocoa farmers and the level of production to new level of production in order to reap the full benefits of this potential to help raise income level and participation of many more rural dwellers through the country.
“Apart from that this is an industry which increasingly involving women and girls at the household level.
“So the impact from a mere rise in cocoa is far reaching but I believe this the most efficient transmission mechanism of wealth and a more sustainable method of economic development.”
