DEAR EDITOR, quoting the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation – March 20, 2018, “Temotu residents and Members of Parliament have called for maintenance of the run down Manuopo area health clinic on Lomlom in the Reef Islands, Temotu Province for years.

“In Parliament yesterday, Aoke/Langalanga MP Matthew Wale said the Ministry of Health and Medical Services needs to urgently address the deteteriorating clinic, which serves a population of more than 5,000 people.

“He said of the clinics across the country that is in poor condition, Manuopo is among the worst.

“The Government must find the funds to fix the clinic, regardless of its tight budget, Mr. Wale said.

“It’s a really serious situation at Manuopo, and Government must isolate it as a top priority, to be fixed this year”, he said. “Even if there is no money, cut some timber and repair the holes or something like that.” Copyright: SIBC. (All Rights Reserved)

The condition of the Manuopo clinic is merely the tip of the iceberg in respect of the dilapidated condition of a great many of the country’s rural health clinics and many thousands of rural people are not getting the proper access to health care services that they deserve, an infringement of their basic human rights.

The PM made a pre-election pledge to see to the repairs of the rural health clinics and more than one foreign county with diplomatic ties with the Solomon Island has promised to help the country’s health services but such promises, as yet, have not materialized.

The exceptions have been countries such as the Republic of China (on Taiwan), Japan, New Zealand and Australia, plus the EU, but no direct, tangible aid to the rural health services, from many of the other countries who’s diplomatic representatives have been and gone.

In the specific case of the Manuopo clinic why not employ and pay some local community members, skilled in building or renovation and get the work needed done before the building really does fall down?

Overall, a sad picture being painted to the international community on SI rural health facilities and lack of proper medical services available to the communities in those areas.

Yours sincerely

FRANK SHORT

DEAR EDITOR, much may have been written already about road safety, particularly in Honiara, where until very recently road users experienced traffic gridlock on a daily basis. I wish to thank Japan for funding the improvement on the section of our main road (Fishing Village in the City’s east to the main market on the west) which has somewhat eased the once snarling traffic flow.

It is encouraging to see that in spite of lack of adequate resources, traffic police are doing their utmost in terms of traffic control. Given the harsh economic reality that the nation is faced with, there is no guarantee adequate traffic police would be recruited anytime soon to ensure safety for all on our roads.

To address this problem, I believe that traffic lights are the answer. Officials in key government departments should begin considering installation of traffic lights in targeted junctions such the Mbokonavera/Honiara City Council Roundabout, the Kolaa Ridge/Main Road Junction, the Vura/Hot Bread Kitchen junction and so on.

It is my firm believe that traffic lights would help police enormously in terms of control of traffic flow and with safety on our roads as a benefit. Sure it would take time for drivers and pedestrians to get to but the benefits in the long term cannot be discounted.

It is must if we want safety on our road. Safety on our roads? Think traffic lights.

Yours Sincerely,

Flory Andrew

USP, SI Campus

DEAR EDITOR, “CDF—the antithesis of sound social and economic development.” Local resident, Tony Hughes, has written a very enlightened article on the manner in which the government should manage its affairs and, as a former Governor of the Solomon Islands Central Bank and as a past Colonial service officer, like myself, I am in full agreement with his commentary and would even say he has squarely “hit the nail on the head” when he referred in his article to the CDF resources.

For the benefit of your readers that might not have seen what Mr Hughes posted as his commentary on the website of the SIBC today, March 20, 2018, let me quote the piece.

“Commentary by AV Hughes

“The overall aim of government in Solomon Islands, as in other developing countries, should be to manage the use of the total human, financial and physical resources available to the country in such a way that the mental and physical well-being of all its people, and the equitable distribution of such conditions, steadily improve over time, and the impact of external shocks (physical, financial or strategic-political) is successfully managed in line with that aim.

“Looking at the national economy as a whole, investment decisions are continually being made at all levels, from national government down to households and personal savings, that involve a choice between competing possible uses of the available money, land, people’s time or other resources. Every investment decision, however large or small, incurs an ‘opportunity cost’ comprising the potential value of things that cannot now be done with the resources that are being committed by that decision.

“In that context, Constituency Development Funds (CDF) as conceived and practiced in Solomon Islands are contrary to the public interest.

“The energy and attention of MPs is concentrated on achieving the biggest possible allocation of CDF resources to their control to distribute within the constituency so as to secure their own re-election. This appears to be politically and financially feasible, leaving the provision of social and economic services and the construction and maintenance of social and economic infrastructure to the increasing number of countries and regional and international institutions providing external aid to Solomon Islands. The ‘donor community’ seems to have no difficulty with this arrangement, or if they have, they keep quiet about it to protect their individual bilateral relationships.

“CDFs originated in former UK colonies in East Africa and spread like a debilitating sickness to other developing countries then under UK management. The impact of the widespread abuse of CDF resources and their effective use as a ‘Vote For Me’ fund, undermines public confidence in the machinery of government and cultivates a cynical disrespect for political institutions and individuals.

“CDF allocations should be reduced and redirected so as to limit their distorting effect on overall resource allocation — for example, by restricting, specifying and monitoring CDF end-use applications.

“Standard arrangements for application and use of CDF resources should be established in all constituencies, and their operations monitored and centrally reported. Transparency Solomon Islands has carried out in-constituency investigations into CDF funding and associated activities and is in a position to make research-based recommendations on improving the developmental efficiency of CDF expenditures.”

Yours sincerely

FRANK SHORT