DEAR EDITOR, the Solomon Islands Police Commissioner recently said the Force had 100 vehicles but struggling to maintain them,

Mr Varley explained, “A lot of our vehicles are breaking down regularly and a lot of them have been gifted and donated over the RAMSI years.”

The Commissioner went on to say that the Force was looking into an Australian programme to look into the overall fleet repair status and sustainability of the vehicles.

In 1999 I supported a plan to introduce a mobile repair and serviceability unit capable of inspecting and servicing the fleet of police vehicle which then consisted of less than 40 vehicles throughout the whole country.   The plan did not materialise because the government could not financed the establishment of such a unit.

In those days there was no regional government support to prop-up the local resources and operational requirements of the police service, with the exception that in 1997, prior to the general election in the Solomon Islands, the Taiwanese Government gave the police some new land rovers, a bus and several motor cycles.

Several key historical problems existed in the RSIP in those days and these were the poor pay of police officers and limited resources for equipping members in their work and the very poor state of police facilities and housing.

In 1999 the strength of the RSIP was less than 800 because a strict moratorium on recruitment prevented recruitment to fill the authorized establishment set at 999.

The 14 years that RAMSI spent in the Solomon Islands brought about many of the reforms in the local police service that one had planned for but could not achieve due to the dire financial state of the Solomon Islands Government in the period 1997-1999.

All are appreciative of the help Australia gave in those years

It is no doubt in Australia’s strategic interest to continue to see the reformed RSIPF maintain standards and to be operationally resourced but I take the view that it is the responsibility of the Solomon Islands Government, not Australia, to ensure the needs of the local, sovereign, police service.

When I addressed the TRC in October 2010, I said,

“The police service must never again be allowed to degenerate into the state in which I found it in 1997 but must be fully equipped, trained, resourced and maintained in an operational state of readiness at all times.”

Some might disagree with me that in the ongoing circumstances of economic difficulties the Solomon Islands Government must assume the responsibility of providing for its own national police service but my view is the fiscal crises surrounding government spending must not threaten public safety as was the case when internal ethnic divisions erupted in late 1998.

Yours sincerely

FRANK SHORT

DEAR EDITOR, in the Solomon Times newspaper, yesterday, February 12, 2018 a coconut crushing mill operator in Malaita Province, Billy Funusulia, revealed a troubling story in which a potentially income generating project is failing because of operating costs and marketing options

Quoting the newspaper article this is what was revealed: “Operating a coconut crushing mill is a great income generating opportunity for many rural Solomon Islanders.

“But keeping the operation going and maintaining the crushing mill machine can be challenging and costly.

“Billy Funusulia looks after his community crushing mill at Gwa’adingale village, Malu’u, in north Malaita.

“He said the challenges faced by rural communities operating coconut crushing mill are enormous.

“The most critical challenge is finance and keeping the operation going,” Mr Funusulia said.

“There were a lot of overhead costs that are beyond the income we are generating from this operation,” he added.

The community coconut crushing mill Mr Funusulia is managing was funded through Australia’s direct aid program more than a year ago.

Mr Funusulia said since their operation started last year, they’ve so far made three shipments.

“But we were unable to cover our costs,” he admitted.

“In fact our trend in revenue has gone from bad to worse.

“Thus, we were not able to regularly produce coconut oil as expected.”

Mr Funusulia said unlike copra producers, crushing mill operators are very selective in buying coconut fruits that are needed to extract the oil.

“So it is not that easy to get the quantity and the quality we want,” he explained.

“Furthermore, the local coconut oil market is being monopolised.

“So mill operators have no choice because the local buyer controls the selling price.”

“Mr Funusulia said he believed if there are more local buyers, mill operators will have choices to sell their oil to the highest offer.

“He also appealed to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) to assist coconut mill operators to meet the challenges.

“We are struggling to keep our operations going,” he said.

“I know there is the National Coconut Rehabilitation Program through which assistance in the agriculture sector can be sought.

“The government should come in and help us through this program.”

“When contacted, Deputy Director of Planning within MAL, Simon Iro said the Ministry can help when requests are made through the formal process.

“In the case of those in north Malaita, submissions for assistance should be channelled through the relevant offices at Malu’u and Auki.

“He said the Malu’u based agriculture officer should receive the request and send it to their Auki office for approval, before it is communicated to Honiara.

“Mr Iro said once Honiara office receives the request then they will respond to it, as it comes under Malaita Province.

“He also revealed that coconut crushing mill operators around the country have to work along with Kokonut Pacific Solomon Islands (KPSI), in order for them to control the costs incurred in their productions.

“If they employ more than five people in the crushing mill then they will experience losses,” Mr Iro concluded.”

The bottom line here, it seems to me, is Mr. Funusulia and others like him operating coconut crushing mill plants throughout the country needs to start making a profit and not subjected to bureaucratic rules akin to ‘passing the parcel’ or restricted practices tied to a monopoly in the coconut oil market when it comes to selling their product.

Yours sincerely

FRANK SHORT

DEAR EDITOR, the Solomon Islands National Council of Women (SINCW) is expecting to launch its first round of training programmes next week under the slogan “Strongem Woka blo Ologeta Merefo Jonim Politiks lo Solomon Aelans.”

According to a press a press statement from the SINCW (quote)

“The first two training programs will be delivered in the provincial centres of Auki for Malaita Province and in Buala for the Ysabel Province for those who will be supporting intending Candidates in their Campaigns.

“The next similar Training Programs will be for Honiara, Guadalcanal and Central Provinces and the rest of the Provinces where women have been identified and been trained in their preparations to stand in the forthcoming Provincial and National General Elections.

“These second series of training will be for “Train the Trainers” and are intended to train Campaign Managers and Manageress’s who will conduct Campaign Advocacy Programmes in the Provincial Wards and Constituencies where aspiring women are being identified to run either in the coming Provincial Assembly and National General Elections early next year.

“The Women in Leadership and Gender Advocator, Mr. Casper Fa’asala, who is responsible for designing and delivering of these training programs from the Solomon Islands National Council of Women has said that the series of Training of Trainers programmes will be designed to enable participants to better understand the basic concepts of democratization, accountability, the electoral processes and elections, patriotism, nationalism, citizenship, rights of citizens, including governance and leadership.

“The Training of Trainers programme will mainly focus, also, on strengthening the skills and knowledge of Campaign Managers to develop strategies for winning an election.”

Yours sincerely

FRANK SHORT