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Graveyard plan for Green Valley scrapped: HCC

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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The Chairman of the Taskforce Mr Eddie Ngava said they are aware many bus still running short route from SDA to Naha route

BY LYNTON AARON FILIA

HONIARA City Council is now planning to legitimize the Green Valley residential area that was earmarked to be the new site for the city’s cemetery after Kolaridge cemetery has reached its capacity.

The Green valley residential area is the allocated land by the Council for the graveyard but now HCC has decided that the site is not suitable for a cemetery. From its recent survey and observation they now find the land mass is incapable for graveyard.

This is because the underground is swampy and prone to flooding during heavy rain.

Ward Counsellor Mr Eddie Ngava said Green Valley will no longer be used for a graveyard as planned. However since the area is already populated, council will not confront people but will accommodate them.

He said HCC want to accommodate residents of Green Valley by legitimizing their stay there, and what council will do in the months ahead is to demarcate the area.

Mr Ngava said works are progressing, and as of last week their team was on site to do valuation on the area.

“Next we will be looking at legitimizing the stay of people, so if any one live in a plot land, apply for that land title and HCC will offer you premium and annual rent,” Mr Ngava said.

He also adds instead of sending people out from the area, Council’s plan is to accommodate and legitimate their stay.

Concerning the plan, Mr Ngava said Council already met and approved the valuation for green valley area.

On month’s ahead, the HCC lands officer will do consultation and survey with residents of Green Valley.

The idea is to allow people live there legally because at the moment they are illegal settlers, he adds.

2018 budget targets fiscal stability and discipline

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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THE 2018 budget is aimed at restoring fiscal stability and micro fiscal discipline to ensure the execution of the budget is efficient and effective.

Minister of Finance and Treasury and Deputy Prime Minister Hon Manasseh Sogavare will soon table the 2018 Appropriation Bill 2018 in Parliament in the coming weeks.

He says the number one policy priority for the 2018 National Budget is fiscal stability and re-establishing fiscal buffers to ensure that the execution of the budget is efficient and effective.

The second priority for the 2018 National Budget is to ensure that it provides an effective vehicle for Government to implement its most pressing policy priorities for this year.

The Finance Minister’s announcement followed extensive deliberations by Cabinet Members to agree cohesively on how the budget should be allocated for 2018.

The 2018 Budget has required significant reprioritisation and targeting of scarce resources to ensure that Government accommodates new initiatives such as updating the Biometric Voter Registration Roll for the 2019 National Elections, successfully delivering the Provincial Elections this year, adequately resourcing the London Mission and ensuring the successful delivery of the 40th Year Independence Day Celebrations and the Melanesian Arts festival.

Tough and challenging decisions were made on which initiatives of the Government to stop or delay for more pressing initiatives to be fully funded this year.

“Without available cash reserves or legitimate sources of additional financing, the Government cannot afford a deficit budget for 2018. The Government has addressed outstanding 2017 arrears of around 6% of the total budget by transparently budgeting for them within the 2018 resource envelope, which is outlined in the fiscal table of the 2018 Budget Books,” said Mr Sogavare.

Within the total resource envelope for 2018, $26 million has been ring-fenced for unforeseen spending under the Contingency Warrant provision.

The $26 million will also act as a contingency reserve to assist the Government with additional cash buffers against any potential revenue shortfalls.

Sogavare said although the total revenue collection estimate for 2018 is $3.543 billion, the total expenditure ceiling for 2018 is $164 million below the available resources that Government can secure for this year. Due to overoptimistic fiscal estimates for 2017, there were payment requests towards the end of 2017 that were in excess of available revenue collections by $200 million.

“Corrective measures are being employed for the 2018 Budget to ensure that this does not happen again. That is why the 2018 Budget is built on 2017 actual revenue collections to derive more realistic and accurate estimates. A hard top-down expenditure ceiling of $3.379 billion was also enforced to avoid excessive spending requests or any upward revisions to total expenditure,” says Sogavare.

Sogavare said, “Ensuring macro fiscal discipline for 2018 will be a challenge, given potential pressures across Ministries to increase their budgets due to the general reductions across Ministry Development Budgets, which have almost halved from 2017, however the government has taken full responsibility to address and control the deteriorating cash flow situation to restore sustainability and fiscal stability in the economy through tough sacrifices and tighter fiscal policy.”

“The Development Budget itself has been framed more realistically on the basis that its implementation will occur over only eight months this year and not the full 12 months, which is partly why the allocation has been reduced from 2017 levels.

“Additionally, the allocation to the Development Budget has required that Government forfeit certain ongoing, nonperforming projects in order for Ministries concerned to address impediments to implementation this year and to potentially redesign and rethink certain initiatives that have not been properly designed, scoped and costed from previous years.”

Sogavare reiterated that our number one policy priority is fiscal stability to ensure that the budget can be executed successfully this year with no delays in payments to contractors and backlogs of payments that cannot be met.

The Government, through Cabinet approved certain fiscal measures to regain control of our government finances in November 2017 and is committed to building back the reserves that have been depleted over recent years.

The Government is committed to allocating the budget in the most strategic manner and ensuring it is implemented efficiently and effectively.

The 2018 Budget will be focused on essential services that deliver real impacts to the people of Solomon Islands and delivering on SIDCCG priorities.

 

–GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATION UNIT

Malaita province urged not to sell Auki plaza

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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BY SAMIE WAIKORI

Auki

MALAITA People’s Power Association has called on the Malaita Provincial Government to refrain from selling Auki Plaza.

The call came following the agreement made with SINPF to purchase the building.

A member of the association said currently Auki Plaze is the only infrastructure asset the province has in Auki apart from the market and the wharf.

The person said the provincial government will be without an asset once they sell the plaza.

“What we want is if the provincial government could look for funds and renovate the building so that it can provide services for the people.

“With that it will also help to generate revenue for the administration of the province.

“Because it seems the provincial government has no land and other things that can stimulate activity for the benefit of the province.

“So when the building belongs to Malaita Provincial government, it belongs to the people and people will proud of it,” the person said.

The person said if somebody else buys the building, the province will lose their services to people as what is expected from their government.

The person said the appeal now is for the province to reconsider their decision to sell Auki Plaza.

The person said for the province to have its own asset is very important as it will generate extra revenue from national government funds to administer areas of need under the province.

 

Buy land with caution

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

BY LORETTA BRIGIDIA MANELE

PARAMOUNT Chief of Gaubata, North Guadalcanal, Chief John Richard Saketala has called on people who want to purchase land to be cautious when dealing with people who call themselves landowners.

He said people must be very careful and need to find out if that individual who claims to be a landowner has valid proof on the ownership of the land.

“What I mean is they must show the land title of the land they want to sell. These are things people who are thinking of buying a plot of land need to carefully consider.

“This is because registered lands have parcel numbers. Customary land on the other hand is not owned by a person but a whole lot of other family members. This is my advice for those who want to purchase land in North Guadalcanal,” said Chief Saketala.

Chief Saketala says land titles are very important because nowadays land titles clarify land ownership and is proof that someone is the rightful owner of the land they claim or are living on.

Rural fishmongers face injustice in fees over time

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO

A rural fishmonger is spending more in fees annually then a retail, general and wholesale owner.

Speaking to Island Sun, a fishmonger at the Honiara central market says they pay almost $20,000 in fees annually.

In comparison to retail shops and other shops in general, the fishmonger says they are paying more than their fair share.

The issue was highlighted by a fishmonger from Central islands province who felt that the system had been unfair for struggling Solomon Islanders dwelling in the provinces.

“For instance, at the central market we pay $40 market fee daily for six days including storage fee of $20 per day. Calculating the total cost of fees, we will be spending almost $20,000 per year with our business,” he says.

Meanwhile Island Sun understands that the business licence for a home retail shop canteen owner is $840 annually whilst the business licence for a general supermarket and wholesale owner is $14,000 per year.

A local general retail shop owner will need to pay $5,600 in business licence per year whilst a foreign owner of a general retail shop is paying a total of $6,000 per year for a business licence.

“Where is the fairness in that,” said the rural fishmonger.

Guadalcanal people urged to respect land title

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Paramount Chief John Saketala

BY GEORGINA KEKEA

Paramount Chief John Saketala

THE people of Guadalcanal has been urged to respect land that does not belong to them anymore. Paramount Chief of Ghaubata, Chief John Richard Saketala made this statement when asked by Island Sun newspaper on the issue of RIPEL lands on Guadalcanal.

Chief Saketala said whilst he understands that the priority for RIPEL is for the indigenous people of Guadalcanal, that doesn’t mean that descendants of the landowning groups that sold the land in the first place have the right to reclaim the lands by settling on them illegally.

Chief Saketala says even descendants of indigenous landowners must respect the agreement made by their ancestors in the first place.

“You cannot just come and reclaim the land as if it were your own. Our forefathers have sold the land in a manner and price that was respected during their time. During their time the decision made by our ancestors was made in good faith and what they believe was probably the best at that time. We must respect what had transpired before us and must uphold our dignity”, Chief Saketala says.

“Even for us as original landowners, if we want our land to come back to us, we must acquire it the right way and not just reclaim the lands anyhow we want”.

Chief Saketala says even as a landowner, he had bought the land (alongside eastern side of Alligator creek) which he now settles on and have the title to.

He says the lease agreement signed between the parties before our time was for the land to be returned as ‘crown land’ when the lease lapses. Therefore he says any land not sold by RIPEL before the agreement lapse should go back to the government. However he says whatever is between the Provincial Government, National government and RIPEL is none of his business.

‘I understand the Guadalcanal provincial government has been working with RIPEL and priority should be given to indigenous Guadalcanal people. Whoever from Guadalcanal has the finances to pay for a plot of land, by all means go ahead! What shouldn’t be encouraged is for us to go back and settle on these lands as if nothing has happened”, he said.

The issue of land on Guadalcanal is a sensitive one where even registered land being abandoned by holders from different provinces including Guadalcanalese during the ethnic crisis had been reclaimed by the so called customary landowners.

 

Former councillor suggests financial report by-law

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

By Mike Puia

FORMER councillor of the Honiara Town Council- now Honiara City Council (HCC), Charles Lesimaoma, has appealed to the council to make it a by-law requiring all schools to have their financial report audited at the end of each year.

Mr Lesimaoma said this will allow schools to provide parents with reliable information at the beginning of each year.

The former member of the White River School’s Board of Management said all schools’ financial report should be audited before presented to parents.

Lesimaoma said parents should be fed with reliable information.

He said the council should introduce a law where all its schools should subject its financial report to an independent auditor for verification.

“Auditing financial report at the end of the year promotes good governance and accountability in schools,” Lesimaoma said.

He said during their meeting with teachers of White River School on Sunday many parents were not happy with the meeting.

Lesimaoma said the main reason is on the financial report because it has not been counter checked by anyone.

He said any cost associated with this suggested exercise should be footed by the council.

He added an audit will show, in detail, how fees and grants are used and how they improved the school’s physical and academic development.

 

Signs of CRB in Ngella

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0
Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle’s (CRB’s).

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

SIGNS of infestation of Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB) are increasing around Ngella as the Agriculture Division in Central Islands Province (CIP) is yet to confirm new reported sites.

Currently affecting palm trees along Ngella’s Central, South and N/East coasts, indicators of CRB are now visible in North Ngella (Boromole) and along the Sandfly Passage at Leitongo. This is causing anxiety in the community and locals are calling on the Ministry of Agriculture (MAL) to help them address the situation.

From the Agriculture Division at Tulaghi, it is suspected that the pest must have already spread through the whole constituency.

According to MAL’s Director of Quarantine Bio-security Mr Francis Tsatsia, their Officers are yet to return to Ngella for their task in clearing CRB’s. They are waiting for the national government to pass the Budget first.

Recently Bob Macfarlane, Coordinator of Government and Palm Industries CRB Task Force, says continuous attack by Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle’s (CRB) will have an impact on the oil palm and coconut productions in Solomon Islands.

He confirmed that hundreds of coconut and palm oil trees in the country are already destroyed by the CRB’s.

“From reports received, the beetle has already spread along the north coast of Guadalcanal and has invaded north Malaita, Savo and Ngella. Currently the worst effects can be seen around Honiara but if the beetle gets to village coconut plantations then the impact on copra production will be huge reported,” said Mr Macfarlane.

Larvae and adults of CRB’s were also recently reported to be found on an Island at Russell. This has also increased the anxiety amongst locals who rely on the coconut. This includes fear for betel-nut and Sago-palm trees as well.

In a recent press statement, Macfarlane has reminded people to be aware of the serious nature of the beetle problem and the very high importance of destroying the breeding sites as it is the only tool at the moment for reducing their population.

Failure to do this will mean CRB’s population will increase and more palm trees will be destroyed.

OSEP workshop underway in Honiara

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Lawn Tennis officials and coaches discussing during one of the sessions.

BY ROMULUS HUTA

A weeklong series of workshops in sports organization management and coaching are being conducted in Honiara this week for national federation administrators and coaches.

The workshops are being led by officials from the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) Oceania Sport Education Program (OSEP) in collaboration with officials from the National Olympic Committee of Solomon Islands (NOCSI).

The OSEP officials include Pacific Islanders accredited as Oceania Regional Master Educators, Master Educators and Educators.

OSEP is an educational program of the Oceania National Olympic Committee (ONOC) that purposely aims to provide quality sport education trainings for its affiliated national Olympic committees and its national federations to inspire more sporting participation in communities and consistently produce champions at international levels.

The workshops, which are being held at the Solomon Islands Rugby Union Federation (SIRUF) conference room at the Town Ground Rugby Stadium and NOCSI Conference room, began on Monday and will conclude on Saturday.

More than 40 participants representing more than 10 sporting federations attended the first two workshops.   It is expected to double with the start of the Strength and Conditioning Coach and Management in Sporting Organisation (MiSO) courses targeted national coaches and NOCSI and NF Executive Committee and board members.

The workshops this week are being marked as a new journey for all the national sporting federations in Solomon Islands where participants are taken to a whole new level of experience in learning about development of sports at the community level and so as learn about effective ways of managing their sporting organisations.

According to an interview with SunSPORTS, the OSEP Coordinator, Sainimili Saukuru said the series of workshops the OSEP team had been delivering since last month was aimed at getting Solomon Islands prepared well ahead of the hosting of the Pacific Games in Honiara in 2023 and other future sporting events.

“The Oceania Sport Education program (OSEP) courses for administrators, team managers and coaches are to prepare toward the 2018 Commonwealth Games, 2019 Pacific Games, 2020 Olympic Games and the 2023 Pacific Games.

“The OSEP courses train locals involved in running sporting organisations to support the way sport events are conducted and how teams are managed. And also sporting organisations’ leaderships are trained on how they run their national federations, put in place strategic plans to prepare their federations for the 2023 Pacific Games.

“ONOC will work closely with NOCSI and its national federations over the next five years to build the skills and competencies of sport federations coaches and administrators to comply with the principles of good governance in sport,” Saukuru highlighted.

During the course of the week NOCSI Training and Development Commission members Shalom Akao and Morris Mai’taki will be assessed as OSEP Educator and Master Educator. The duo just returned from Fiji as part of the OSEP trainers course to build up the OSEP training team in Solomon islands. This team are targeted to run OSEP courses locally.

Meanwhile, the course facilitators for this week’s workshops include OSEP Regional Master Educators such as Lemeki Savua, Tihrani Uluinakauvadra, Geoffrey Gisane Gideon, Kinivanagi Karo, Sainimili Saukuru and Mentor Talemo Waqa.   Also joining the team are OSEP Strength and Conditioning Educators Hannah Ilave and Thereseanne Daimol.

Lawn Tennis officials and coaches discussing during one of the sessions.
Victor Waiia discusses a point with one of the participants.
Participants undergoing intensive discussions
Participants listening to a presenter during Monday’s session.
Junior Bainivalu of the boxing federation leading a group activity for his group
A group activity for participants during yesterday’s session

TSL champs continues this weekend

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

By Taromane Martin

THE second leg matches of the 2018 Telekom S-League championship series will continue this weekend at the Lawson Tama Stadium.

The first match for this Saturday will see Malaita Kingz FC taking on Henderson Eels FC at 2pm followed by the 4pm class between Western United FC and KOSSA FC.

With the semi-finals for the competition set for Wednesday next week, Eels will be eager to bounce back following their 4-0 loss to a young M/Kingz side last Sunday.

Matches for the competition continues this Sunday as FC Guadalcanal takes on Marist FC at 2pm while Solomon Warriors FC takes on Real Kakamora FC at 4pm.

Despite their 2-0 loss to Marist FC last Saturday, FC Guale Head Coach Martin Hiti was pleased with his boys’ performance saying it was by far their best performance so far.

“Three weeks is not enough but I’m pleased we’ve managed to work and identified a game plan for us today,” Coach Hiti told SunSPORT after their loss on Saturday.

“This is a new team for FC Guadalcanal. Our performance was good in terms of teamwork and our combination but it is our finishing which needs improvement.

“This is one of the beautiful games I’ve seen from our team so far. I mean Marist is a good side that has kept on training after the TSL season for the Oceania Champions League.

“We went for the break and managed to rebuild in three weeks and I think this is a good starter for the boys.

“It was very challenging but the boys played together as a team today. We’ll work on the areas we failed today and hope the boys can get us the result next week,” Hiti said.

Meanwhile, semi-finals for the TSL are set for Wednesday and Thursday next week.

Format for the semi-final will see the winner of Solomon Warriors FC and Real Kakamora FC taking on the winner of KOSSA FC and Western United FC while the other semi-final will be between the winner of Henderson Eels FC and Malaita Kingz FC match, and the winner of Marist FC and FC Guadalcanal match this Sunday.

Grand finals for the competition will take place Sunday next week.

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