By Alfred Sasako

BUSINESSMAN Patrick Wong – the man who is waiting on Government to pay him $50 million for the Hell’s Point waste land in east Honiara – was never an investor, a Management Agreement signed in 2003 has revealed.

Instead, Mr Wong was recruited by the Board of the Copra Export Marketing Authority (CEMA) to assist in managing Russell Islands Plantation Estates Ltd’s (RIPEL) business and selling its products.

Island Sun has obtained a copy of the Agreement, signed on February 27, 2003.

Representatives of RIPEL and Pacific Management Services (SI) Ltd (PMSL initialled the Agreement. PMSL was established as a vehicle Wong and associates used to manage RIPEL,

The Foreign Investment Division of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry Immigration and Labour confirmed yesterday that PMSL’s registration is now overdue.

“It has not been renewed for the last financial year, which ended October 2017,” records show. Goh and Partners used to renew PMSL’s registration by way of filing annual returns.

There are four parts to the Management Agreement signed fifteen years ago.

Part A says:

“RIPEL is in the business of producing and exporting copra, coconut oil, copra cake, coconuts, animal meat, cocoa and other similar commodities (the products);

Part B says:

“PMSL, through its directors, servants, agents and employees, has experience in managing business in the export trade and selling the Products internationally (the Services);

Part C:

“RIPEL wishes to engage the Services of PMSL to assist in managing its business and in selling its Products; and Part D which says:

“PMSL is prepared to make the Services available on the terms and conditions set out in this Agreement.”

The $50 million payout ordered by the Court of Appeal has raised controversies in both the legal and government circles. Some say Wong should never collect a cent from the land because he never owned or developed the land.

Secondly, they say Wong’s involvement in both RIPEL and Levers Solomon Ltd ceased when the CEMA Board was wound up.

“He was just an employee, never an investor,” some say.

The Foreign Investment Division said it used this argument to reject the company’s registration application because Wong was never an investor.

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

Auki

COMMUNTIES in West Are’are are in desperate need of police presence in their communities.

The call follows an increase in anti-social behaviour in the area.

Catechist of Porepore local church, Mr Joe Naitoro made the report saying men, women and children do not feel safe in their homes.

He said majority of youths in ward 25 where his village is are engaged in marijuana and kwaso.

“Youths even elderly people when they drink kwaso they have no respect to the communities.

“They swear at people, have no respect to people’s properties and to the chiefs and elders in the communities.

“Other anti-social activities like fighting, stealing and etc are now becoming worse in their communities.

“Another odd thing experienced was before men only known for drinking of beers in rural communities, but now both young girls and boys combine to do it,” Naitoro said.

Naitoro said they want regular presence of police in their communities to crack down on the anti-social behaviours.

He also added that they want community policing in their communities so that they can work together with police on those areas.

In an interview with PPC Malaita, Mr Timothy Apaesi said that his office is aware of the issues going on in the province.

He said they continue to do the best of what they can to ensure law and order must be respected and upheld in the province.

However, he explained that resource is one major problem usually faced to get them down to the issues on the ground.

By Gary Hatigeva

THE Korean Water contracted to build and operate the Tina Hydro Project in East Guadalcanal is revealed to have pumped in a total of $20 Million US dollars as its contribution into the project based on the investment structures for the power project.

This, according to the Minister for Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification and Member of Parliament for East Guadalcanal, Bradley Tovusia is a 50 percent cut to the original outline in the structure.

When responding to a supplementary question by the former Finance Minister and MP for Marovo, Snyder Rini who asked about the Korean company’s share of contribution into the project, Minister Tovusia explained that Korean Water was supposed to give 40 million as initiated.

“But with the interest that the company will raise its tariff, the government has decided for the investor to pump in only 20 million US Dollars.

“And that,” the Minister added, “would reduce tariff and with the idea to get additional funds from the country’s donor and development partners will see to the rest of the cost to ensure the project is eventuated,” Minister Tovusia added.

Based on figures revealed on the floor of parliament regarding finances involved in the project, a total of over $100 million USD is expected to be borrowed from international commercial institutions, which includes a total of around 87 million soft loan from GCF, EDCF with over 30 million, World Bank with a soft loan of around 34.7 million.

Meanwhile, documents are being finalized on the agreement to also get an additional soft loan of around 18 Million US dollars from the Asia Development Bank.

The Australian government on the other according to the Finance Minister, is also contributed around $17 million for the project, which includes the construction of access to the project site.

But when questioned over who will shoulder the cost of the highlighted loan repayments, the Minister assured that the project, once it is up and running and starts making profits, which he is confident it will, all the costs outlined will be paid by the operation.

With intentions and proposals including the structure of investment for the project, which according to both ministers strive to provide supply power at the lowest rates as possible, the Member of Parliament for Aoke/Langalanga, Matthew Wale commended the government for it and stressed the need to see that the project is operational for the sake of the people.

The Aoke/Langalanga MP expressed his appreciations on the government’s approach to get Korean Water to go as low as possible with its costs of tariff and urged them to also consider lowering all costs involved in the initiation of what he described as a very important project as far as development in the country is concerned.

BY ROMULUS HUTA

A total of $30,000 in cash prizes will be up for grabs during the upcoming Easter national volleyball championship.

The annual Easter tournament will run from March 30 to April 8 in Honiara.

To be organized by Solomon Islands Volleyball Federation (SIVF), all volleyball clubs in Honiara and the provinces are being urged to come and register to avoid missing out.

Federation president and head of the organizing committee, Morris Maitaki said they expect a good number of teams from the provinces and Honiara to participate.

Maitaki precisely outlined that the tournament will be restricted to only 12 teams each for both the men’s and women’s categories.

“Interested teams can register their participations at the National Olympic Committee of Solomon Islands (NOCSI) office.

“There are three provinces who have already confirmed their participation and they have already arrived in Honiara.

“The provincial teams are Choiseul, Western and Renbel. The rest of the teams come from Honiara,” Maitaki added.

Registration per team is $1,000 and will close on Thursday March 29.

A technical meeting for participating clubs and tournament technical officials will be held following the closure of the registration.

“The technical meeting will be held at the NOCSI conference room on Thursday 29th March 2018 at 4:30pm. Please make efforts to attend the meeting for draws and also take a look through at the ground rules.”

The competition kicks off with an opening ceremony on Friday March 30, 2pm in the afternoon and to be followed by opening matches.

Maitaki said the competition venue is not yet confirmed and organisers shall announce it soon.

“We would appreciate that all the participating teams that are planning to participate should now get their trainings and preparations underway.

“For further details contact: 7472317/ 7831188.”

Winners will receive the following cash prizes:

Men’s Category

First: $6,000

Second: $4,000

Third: $3,000

Fourth: 2,000

• Consolation prizes will also be awarded to top performing individuals

Women’s Category

First: $6,000

Second: $4,000

Third: $3,000

Fourth: 2,000

*Consolation prizes will also be awarded to top performing individuals.