THE Government remains committed in passing the 2018 Budget.
A statement from the Office of the Prime Minister & Cabinet (OPMC) yesterday said the Solomon Islands Democratic Coalition for Change (SIDCCG) remains devoted to the smooth passage of the Budget.
As such, the Government clarifies statements which it says are misleading, contained in an article by veteran journalist Alfred Sasako in an article yesterday which said that the Government has only five days from March 26, 2018 to approve the Budget in Parliament.
“Sasako’s assumption is a misleading interpretation. We are still within the timeframe and we remain committed in passing the Budget,” it said.
The statement further clarified that the Resolution passed by Parliament in November last year is based on section (103) 1 of the Constitution which allows the Government to meet necessary expenditures until April this year.
The statement said it is in the interest of this nation and Parliament to pass the Budget.
“No MP in his right mind would want to defeat the Budget. This would be the most irresponsible thing to do as a national leader,” the statement said.
Parliament will resume on Monday March 26 to deliberate on the Budget.
THE two-head undersea cable that promises faster and cheaper internet to Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea might be split in Australian waters.
Solomon Islands is prepared to pay about $30 million to get one head of the cable from Australian waters into the country.
From Honiara, the cable will be extended to Auki in Malaita, Noro in the Western Province and Taro in Choiseul Province.
The Ministry of Finance and Treasury has appropriated $150 million under its 2018 appropriation bill 2018 to support this project.
The money is with the Central Bank of Solomon Islands (CBSI). It is intended to activate the Investment Corporation of Solomon Islands (ICSI) as part of the project.
The Australian government has engaged workers through a tender process to manage this project on its behalf.
Workers are expected to begin actual work next month.
The Australian government is likely to provide money to cater for about 66 percent of the costs associated with the project.
The Solomon Islands National Provident Fund (SINPF) is a stakeholder in this project and might also provide money for this project.
The government has until next month to accept or reject this project.
A State Owned Enterprise (SOE), Solomon Water, has hit back at the Ministry of National Unity, Reconciliation and Peace (MNURP) by disconnecting water supply to its estate at Panatina, East Honiara.
Solomon Water claimed the peace ministry has built on its land as Solomon Water’s borehole can be found within this land.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Justus Denni, confirmed the cut.
Mr Denni said people moved in and settled in the said land, and this is how the Ministry entered and built on the land.
He did not mention any initiative to make peace with the SOE and to find a solution to the issue.
Instead, Denni said their houses are using water tanks and they are looking at getting and installing their own water pump.
War against NCD takes a turn as Ministry targets sweet beverages
By Mike Puia
THE Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) is taking another approach to fighting Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) in the country – it is going against ‘soft drinks’.
The Ministry plans to impose tax on soft drinks. These are sweet sugar beverages that have flooded Honiara shops, including many in the provinces.
In his presentation before the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday, Permanent Secretary of MHMS, Dr Tenneth Dalipanda said soon the Ministry will present a paper to the Economic Reform Unit (ERU) to look into this plan.
Mr Dalipanda said work on this paper has already started. It is expected the paper will be ready by June.
He said the plan is to increase the price of sweet beverages in shops, so that someone paying for a soft drink will have to pay more.
The tax will see an increase of about 30 percent from the current prices of drinks.
Yearly, statistics from the National Referral Hospital (NRH) indicates the high number of patients diagnosed with NCD.
Sugary carbonated drinks are risk factors that are often present in childhood, adolescence and youth.
NCDs which include heart disease, strokes, cancers and lung disease often result in premature death.
Dalipanda said they hope imposing tax on these sweet drinks will make people think twice before they buy one.
He said it will also benefit the government in terms of collecting much needed revenues as whatever tax charged will be paid to the Ministry of Finance and Treasury.
Dalipanda said once this tax-plan works well; the Ministry might look at imposing tax on other goods that are categorised as NDC risk factors.
He added their fight against NCD is financially supported by the Tobacco Fund that was created under the Ministry’s Health Promotion Division.
UNDER the RDPII – Component 2 project, three rural businesses from two provinces took delivery of their vehicles yesterday at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) Headquarter. Handing over the vehicles, Permanent Secretary (PS) of MAL, Jimi Saelea says transport is a critical element that is necessary to move products from one place to another.
“In agriculture, transport is essential to move products from farm to market. From farm to factories, from factories to wharves and so on,” Mr Saelea said.
The three businesses that took delivery of the vehicles yesterday were Tupaghota cocoa partnership of North Guadalcanal, EF Farmers Support Network of East Fataleka and DME Rela Crushing Mill of Central Kwara’ae, Malaita province.
“These are but three of eleven partnerships that are being provided transport vehicles to enhance their business activities,” says Saelea.
Saelea says it is in the best interest of all partners to make sure cordial working relationships exist as it is a win-win game for all. He says the success of the lead partner depends on the success of the producers or partners.
“Therefore with vehicles provided to meet transport needs, respective partnerships are expected to see improvement in output through increased volumes in coconut oil, cocoa beans and copra. I do wish the three business partnerships that are represented today all the success. Your success will contribute to growing the economy of Solomon Islands.”
Nine other business partnerships are yet to receive their vehicles and the Permanent Secretary of MAL urges all the recipients to look after their vehicles properly. He says they are fortunate to receive such expensive items therefore it is very important that they also look after these items.
“Much is expected where much is given,” he quoted.
“Meaning that expectation for you to perform is greater now with this support.”
Saelea on behalf of the government thanked their development partners namely DFAT, World Bank, International Fund for Agriculture Development, EU and the RDP team for making this support possible for our agriculture sector developers.
Rural Development Project (RDP) is setup to improve access to basic services in rural areas and the production and productivity of farmers through two components.
Component one is community and infrastructure services and component two is Agriculture partnerships.
Component two mainly assists farming households to engage in productive partnerships with commercial enterprises as well as builds the capacity of MAL to deliver its core functions of regulation.
“I believe this is an answer to my prayer. God knows my struggle and I believe it is his will for me to have this vehicle.”
These were the words uttered by Joses Naumai from Central Kwara’ae who is one of the beneficiaries from the RDPII Component 2 project under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL).
Yesterday, Mr Naumai was one of the happy recipients to a three ton Isuzu vehicle that was granted to him through the RDP Agribusiness Partnership project.
After 30 years working for the government and the local owned telecommunication company, Naumae retired and went back home and started to look for ways in which he can also support his local community. He says how he got into the coconut industry was because coconut is a thriving product and a lucrative one. There is an abundance of coconuts in the rural areas and a crushing mill is well thought out to be the best business in this rural setting in which everyone can enjoy the benefits.
Over the years, Naumae says they have initiated a kindergarten where parents can pay in coconuts for their children to attend school. Thereon, they have sponsored a local in their community to get his qualifications as a teacher and is now looking after the school.
Naumai says they started off by buying coconuts from the local villagers in small amounts at first. But with the expansion of production and demand, there is need now for them to have a vehicle which will assist them greatly in going out to other communities in Malaita province to buy coconuts.
“When I first heard of the news that I am a beneficiary I feel so excited. There is so much that I want to do for our people and this is an answer to my prayers.”
By doing the business of ‘buy and sell’, he says this will help the local economy to flourish which will in turn help the rural economy to raise its standard.
“Money will be in circulation, people will be able to buy for goods and services generally boosting the local economy,” Naumai says.
On the issue of roads, Naumai says this is one area that needs a lot of improvement.
“The roads are so bad but with the right attitude and mindset, the vehicle should be able to last,” he said.
A beaming Naumae told Island Sun that his vehicle will be shipped over to Auki via MV Gulatatae tomorrow.
He is one of the 11 beneficiaries to the Agribusiness Partnership of RDPII Component 2.
PS Saelea hands over key to Nelson Lomo of EF Farmers support network
BY GEORGINA KEKEA
PS Saelea hands over key to Nelson Lomo of EF Farmers support network
BENEFICIARIES of the three vehicles under the RDPII Component 2 project were so happy to receive the vehicles on behalf of the businesses they represent yesterday.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, an emotional Nelson Lomo of EF Farmers Support Network in East Fataleka says they have been struggling for several years now.
He says as farmers in the rural areas, they are very much in need of such logistical support and they are very happy that they have now acquired these vehicles which will assist them greatly in their transportation needs.
Logistical support of this sort is not easy to come by and because of this, the recipients thanked the government and its stakeholders in assisting them in an area where they lack the finances and capability to fill.
Mr Lomo was quite emotional when he delivered the talk on behalf of the recipients of the Agribusiness Partnership Project.
The three recipients yesterday was part of 11 other businesses who managed to secure this support under RDP’s Component 2 project.
The other recipients were Tupaghotua cocoa partnership from North Guadalcanal and DME Rela Crushing mill from central Kwara’ae.
The handing over of the vehicle keys was done by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) and witnessed by staff from MAL and other supporting groups from the rural farmers.
SUPERVISING Provincial Police Commander (PPC), Isabel Province Inspector Oswald Iru urges his officers to consider the Media Awareness Training currently underway at the Buala Police Station as part of their capacity development under the Capability Plan of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF).
10 officers including the PPC and Heads of Units at the Buala Police Station are attending the training which is being held from March 19-23, 2018. One female officer is among the participants.
“Media is a powerful medium which police can utilise to convey its messages to prevent crime and also impress on communities that policing is not a task for police officers only but it is something for the whole community. It’s only when communities work together with police that our villages and towns can be free of crime,” says PPC Iru.
“There is a lot of cooperation between police and the communities in Isabel Province but not a lot of these stories are being told for the rest of the country to hear and may be do likewise.
“I hope that with this media training and a better understanding of how we can use the media, more of these stories about what the police is doing in Isabel Province can be disseminated to the rest of the country.”
During the Media Awareness Training participants will be briefed on the RSIPF Commissioner’s Order on Media, the RSIPF Media Strategy, expectations of the Media, how to draft a media release, interview techniques, photography, dealing with media enquiries and developing relations with the media.
The Media Awareness Training is being coordinated by Solomon Islands Police Development Programme (SIPDP) as part of the strengthening of the capability of the RSIPF Media Unit to market the organisation in order to increase the confidence of communities in the Force.
The Training, which started at the Gizo Police Station in Western Province early in February, has so far been held at the Auki and Kirakira Police Stations.
It is expected to be held at all the other provincial centres including Honiara City by mid-May this year.
THIS year Taiwan will offer 15 scholarships as compared to the 10 scholarships offered in past years.
This is according to Mr Oliver Weng who is the Deputy Counselor of the Taiwanese Embassy here in the Solomon Islands.
He explained that this is the embassy’s effort to fulfill what their President, Her Excellency, Madam Tsai Ing-wen had stated during her visit to the country last year which was a promise that Taiwan would increase their support in education for Solomon Islands.
Additionally, Mr Weng said that the number of students who have applied for Taiwanese scholarships have increased and this is a good thing.
He emphasized that students should see this as an opportunity and experience to help broaden their perspective of the world and how they view things or can change things for the better.
The Deputy Counselor furthered that education is not the only sector where Taiwan is providing assistance for given that they have and are still involved in a number of projects and forms assistances for the country such as trainings, medical, research, agriculture and so forth.
ALTHOUGH we offer affordable fees, we are also committed to offering free medical care to the elderly and those with disabilities so that they too can access the quality health care we provide.
The above was expressed to the paper yesterday by Sape Private Medical Clinic owner, Dr Paul Bosawai Popora who hails from Sape village in North Guadalcanal.
Moreover, he voiced that their aim is to improve health care access in their rural communities.
Speaking of communities, Dr Popora also stated that some of the community services they provide are the provision of small scholarships for disadvantaged families and individuals, free and discounted consultations for geriatric and pediatric groups, 50% discount for NCDs (non-communicable diseases) consultations and free consultations for cancer patients.
He noted that the reason for the huge discount on NCDs consultations is to help the government fight against the increasing trend of the NCDs affecting the country.
Dr Popora furthered that the clinic management is willing to work with any donor partner to implement water and sanitation projects suitable for communities that are lacking quality water supply.
