Home Blog Page 1584

No review on terms and conditions of judges and magistrates

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

CHIEF Justice Sir Albert Palmer has raised concerns over the delay made to review the terms and conditions of Judges and Magistrates.

Speaking during the legal year opening yesterday, Sir Albert said that since 2015 there has not been any review made on their terms and conditions – and this is unacceptable.

He said under the current Constitutional Regulations, reviews are to be conducted on a yearly basis.

The last review was done in 2015. It is now two years and nothing has been done, Sir Albert said.

He said in 2015 he called for the establishment of an independent body similar to the Members of Parliament Entitlement commission and that is yet to be done.

“The current process of having our terms and conditions reviewed by the Minister of Constitutional Affairs is simply inadequate, if there has been commitment it is lacklustre at best,” Sir Albert said.

Sir Albert said having attractive salaries and terms and conditions of employment enables us to recruit senior and experienced lawyers from the cream of the legal profession.

Currently it is difficult to attract well qualified and experienced legal officers onto the Bench both in the High Court and the Magistrates Court.

He also said that adequate remuneration is connected to strengthening judicial independence.

Good start for HCC bus route ordinance

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0

BY BEN BILUA

THE Honiara City Council is progressing well in the enforcement of the city’s bus route ordinance.

In an interview with this paper, Chair of HCC’s bus route ordinance enforcement taskforce, Councilor Eddie Ngava confirmed that the enforcement of the law is slowly progressing.

“We received good turnout of buses coming to pay their licenses over the past few days and this indicates that things are slowly progressing,” he said.

Ngava stressed that the inclusion of Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) Traffic Department) in the enforcement part of the law adds strength for HCC to fully achieve the objective of the law.

He said HCC and RSIPF have put together a special operation yesterday to convince buses to comply with the law.

“We welcomed the inclusion of our Traffic Police to assist us regulate this law.

“We manage to pull in few buses yesterday and this is a brilliant team work between HCC and RSIPF in making sure the demand of Honiara residents for convenience bus service are met,” Ngava said.

He told this paper that the law was drafted and endorsed in retort to the cries of Honiara residences and that HCC is optimistic that the law must execute the demands.

Ngava reiterated that the bus route ordinance is not new but it tries to revive the old bus destinations that used to be in late 90s.

He acknowledged the bus owners for their cooperation in complying with the law.

Where’s our pay?

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0

Malaita provincial workers cry out for salary

BY GEORGE MANFORD

AUKI

MALAITA province’s direct employees yesterday flocked the Malaita provincial admin office demanding their payment.

The employees told Island Sun that no payment has been received since last fortnight.

“This is a regular occurrence and it is affecting our families especially when we are preparing our children to go back to school for school fees and other basic family needs.

“This shows mismanagement practices in the admin office which affects us and our salaries. We call on the National government including JANUS to audit all finances in the Malaita provincial head office.”

Employees also feel that the Malaita provincial administrative office needs a reshuffling of officers and new administration officers to manage the offices.

“We are suffering and this also affects our work in our offices and in our homes.”

They claim even the heads of department (HODs) have done nothing.

“There is no support from the administrative office since 2015 and our patience have ran out and we no longer have confidence in the Administrative office and the Malaita provincial government.

“We call on the national government to come down to Malaita province to investigate these issues with the Malaita Province’s Head of Departments.”

Provincial Secretary for Malaita province, Jackson Gege in response said that salaries for this month will depend on collected revenue.

He adds that they had made sure all salaries were paid last year before the financial closing of the provincial admin.

“Since the beginning of this year our business partners are yet to pay up their dues. At the moment we are dependent on our revenues to meet the salaries and other services while the province is waiting for the service grant. However, definitely our worker’s salaries will be fixed today.

“We apologise to our workers but this not our failure because revenue is slow in coming and the national government is also faced with economic crisis. The workers have the right to stage this short strike but I call for their patience and understanding of this situation and to be patient with the administration,” Gege said.

Tavanipupu is now a cruise ship port

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0

By Mike Puia

THE popular Tavanipupu private island resort in Marau on Guadalcanal’s eastern tip is now a new port for cruise ships.

The first cruise ship that has confirmed to call in at the island resort, in November, is Seabourn.

This fine resort is known for playing host to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Princess Kate, during their visit to the country in 2012.

The Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau (SIVB) has received initial confirmation from seven cruise ships that have booked to visit this country this year.

SIVB’s Senior Marketing Officer, Ellison Kyere, said they expect the number of cruise ships to increase when they received confirmation from other cruise ship agents.

Based on initial confirmation, Kyere revealed the number of cruise ships coming to the country has seen a drop this year.

He said the significant thing year is the fact a new port (Tavanipupu) has been added.

The first two cruise ship to arrive in Honiara, in February, is the Ocean Dreams and Caledonian Sky. Silver Discoverer, Pacific Eden and L’Austral are other cruise ships that will also visit the country.

MUPG committed to proposed cocoa factory for the province

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0
Makira Ulawa Premier Stanley Siapu

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

PREMIER of Makira Ulawa province has expressed his government’s commitment to the proposed cocoa factory for the province.

Hon Stanley Siapu recently told this paper in an interview that his government ‘is now getting things done’ in their preparation towards the project.

He said that during the recent Premiers conference in Auki, he assured his colleague premiers and responsible government agencies on his government’s plan for the project.

“I talked with the PS for MAL, representatives from MCILI and MDPAC as they assured the national government’s commitment on the projects.

“Now we are working on a partnership MOU between the national government, MUPG and entrepreneur for the establishment of the project,” Siapu said.

He however said having the project will become a milestone for cocoa farmers in the province.

Siapu said there were lots of cocoa farmers in the province, but market is an ongoing difficulty the farmers experienced.

Adding that having the cocoa factory in the province, farmers will find it easy to do their markets just at their doorstep.

He also said that famers in the province are currently producing cocoa roasting with very limited resource they had, but need to upgrade to standard product.

However, Hon Premier said that establishing the factory they expect to produce varieties of cocoa products ranges from cocoa oil or lavender, cocoa powder for chocolates and cocoa roasts.

He said they hope having the project will boost the economic activity for people in the province and will generate necessary revenue for the province and the national government.

Siapu said the MUPG procured the project after a cabinet endorsement for a cocoa factory for the province.

The project was planned to establish in the provincial capital town of Kirakira.

HCC activates bus route regulations

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0
HCC Lord Mayor Andrew Mua

BY BEN BILUA

HONIARA City Council has activated the regulations of Honiara City Bus Route law and have established check points within Honiara City.

In an interview with this paper, Honiara City Mayor Hon Andrew Mua said HCC law enforcers have been dispatched to short bus route hot spots to monitor bus routes as the enforcement of regulations began yesterday

“Our Law Enforcers currently stationed at Kukum SDA bus stop and also other bus stops within Honiara.

“Our officers will take tough measure on buses without sign board and also buses caught running short routes,” he explained.

Mua said HCC understands that some of the buses are yet to collect their sign boards at the producer (Access Plus) and that law enforcers will distinguish the buses with new licence while on patrol.

He said buses who run illegally will be arrested on the spot and referred to HCC main office for interrogation with penalties if found guilty of breaching the newly established Honiara City Bus Route Law.

Chairperson of the Honiara City Bus Route enforcement Committee Hon Eddie Ngava said HCC was very busy yesterday as bus owners que up to pay their business license.

He said enforcement of the Bus Route Ordinance has now been activated and that HCC will apply all the penalties required to buses who intend to break the law.

Investigation on Auki motel death ongoing

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

SUPERVISING Police Commissioner says that investigation on the Auki motel death is still ongoing.

Ms Juanita Matanga said recently that police are still investigating the case and few people were taken for questioning in relation to that death incident.

This is in relation to the death of a female, about 20-years-old, who was found dead at Travellers Motel in Auki in December last year.

The cause of death is still unknown and police are still continuing with the investigation.

Police urge relatives of the deceased to refrain from taking the law in to their own hands whilst investigation is ongoing.

2018 scholarship list this week

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0
Director of NTU, Mr Clement Tito

BY JARED KOLI

LIST of successful students applying for the Solomon Islands Government scholarship for 2018 will be known by the end of this week or early next week.

Staff of the National Training Unit (NTU) during a consultation with students’ yesterday afternoon at their Panatina office said, screening of the 2018 scholarship applicants is into its final stages.

NTU’s Principal Administration Officer, Emilia Rabaua told students that the list will contain those that applied to study both in-country and overseas.

Island Sun was informed during yesterday’s consultation talks that the 2018 scholarship screening committee consist of the Director of NTU, Clement Tito, Chief Administration Officer and heads of department within the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development.

The NTU office yesterday afternoon was crowded with prospecting new students and continuing students queuing up to ask questions and briefed of the 2018 academic year.

Tito could not be reached for comments as this paper was told that he was with the screening committee busy with the selection of students.

His phone was switched off when this paper called later.

This paper understands that the government has offered 500 scholarships for 2018 to undertake full time certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate studies in selected priority areas.

Three categories of Scholarship Awards have been made available for 2018.

A total of 200 Scholarship Awards will be made available under the National High Achievers category, total of 200 Scholarship Awards made available under the constituency scholarship category and 100 under the Cost Sharing Scholarships.

The full and partially scholarship awards funded by the Solomon Islands Government aim to train its citizens with relevant skills to support economic and social growth and prosperity in the country.

8 charter flights for Fiji students

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0

BY JARED KOLI

THE National Training Unit (NTU) has confirmed that all new and continuing students will be travelling on eight arranged chatter flights.

First charter flight has been arranged for Saturday January 27, followed by second on Sunday January 28, third on Tuesday January 30, fourth on Saturday February 3 and fifth on Sunday February 4, 2018.

Sixth charter flight is scheduled for Tuesday February 6, seventh on Saturday February 10 and eighth flight will be on Sunday February 11.

Student Attaché to Fiji, Samantha Teitei stated that Trimester continuing students are all booked to travel on January 19.

Students were told during a consultation with the NTU yesterday that the eight flights are final and students bound for Fiji must not miss the flights.

Speaking to the students yesterday, a NTU senior staff said students that missed any of these flights is responsible to pay for his or her own airfare.

Meanwhile, NTU has recommended only four medical practitioners for students to do medical clearances.

These are Island Medical at Panatina Plaza, Honiara International Medical opposite the next to the World Fish office, Family Natal at Bahai and Family Health Centre at China Town.

Warrant of arrest against man charged for conversion

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
-
0

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

A man who was charged for one count of conversion failed to appear in court yesterday when his matter was called in court.

The accused, Joe Douglas, was alleged of converting a sum of $1,200 belonging to another on August 4 last year in Honiara.

Prosecution after the non-appearance of the accused yesterday applied for an arrest warrant and that warrant will be reviewed on February 15.

The victim of the case reported the matter to the police and he was arrested for the alleged offence.

The case is adjourned to February 15.

 

1...1,5831,5841,585...1,665Page 1,584 of 1,665