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Unaccounted for missing ship funds

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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DEAR EDITOR, I wish to make a comment or two on two items which was reported in your paper.

First was the publication again of the recipients of shipping grant with SBD$27million unaccounted for funds.

Secondly a letter on Sunday by a faithful member of SSEC central church regarding the irate behaviour by some people within their compound during the float parade by a large group along the main Honiara street two Sundays ago. Christians or Hooligans? He asked.

In the first article a number of individuals, businesses and members of parliament names appeared to have received hefty sums from the SI Government to buy boats.

One such name HP Shipping caught my eyes because in some of the previous year’s publications this name also appeared.

If I am correct, a total sum of more than SBD8million has already been received by this group/person.

HP stand for Harry and Philip (Hon Danny Philip) this person (company?) used to operate the unseaworthy MV Francis Gerena which met its fate at the ill-fated trip on December 24, 2013 to North Malaita.

This business was the sponsor of Mr Lawinter Kii’s candidature to run for the Lau and Mbaelea Constituency seat in 2014. One slogan printed on the TShirts for this candidate was ‘Free Faka na Haea’ in the Lau dialect of Malaita.

During 2012 & 2013, the MV Francis Gerena operate shipping services to North Malaita totally free.

All passengers do not pay for boat fares. The first of its kind service in Solomon Islands.

You do not need an expert CID officer to come up with a rationale conclusion that if HP shipping does not buy any boat but use a very unseaworthy boat which was rotting and ready to sink to run its shipping service, then it could be that the money from SIG in the name of shipping paid for all the goods, materials, solar etc and the free boat service they operate to lure voters to Mr Lawinter Kii? If this is true, this is day light robbery!

I like the response by Didao, one of the company’s reported to have received $1million.

They are now calling for an investigation because the owners categorically denied receiving any money.

I think HP Shipping should be investigated together with the others!

The other as mentioned above was the group which led the float parade on Sunday October 8 in Honiara.

I believe after the float and parade, they send a very strong delegation to Israel for a large prayer programme.

The Hon MP for Lau and Mbaelea was also in the trip. I am not sure what benefit will he bring to the constituency from this tour.

I am a driver and I do not like the attitude of these people. The convoy should be arrested for breaking traffic rules and irrational behaviour. No allowim kaen people ia on the street.

Jews are Seventh Day Sabbath keepers. They have some very strict dietary regulations. If the group which went represented the splinter group from SSEC, how are they going to cope in Israel?

EM Fatainao,

Kukum  

It’s hard to believe but it’s true

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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By Alfred Sasako.

 

CAN you imagine growing rice in seawater? Many of us will find it hard to believe it but it’s true. After years of research, Chinese scientists have put rice grown in seawater on the nation’s tables, according to news dispatches from China, whose leadership has begun its Congress in Beijing today (Wednesday).

Salt-resistant species could boost country’s rice harvest by nearly 20 per cent, top researcher says.

Rice grown on a commercial scale in diluted seawater has, for the first time, made it into the rice bowls of ordinary Chinese people after a breakthrough in food production following more than four decades of efforts by farmers, researchers, government agencies and businesses.

Given that rice is a staple food in Solomon Islands, I have decided to use this article about this.

Ning Meng bought a bag of the rice online and had it delivered to the family of her boyfriend early this month. Her boyfriend was living with his parents in a city in Zhejiang province, and the rice was a gift to her future in-laws.

On the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival, they gathered around the rice cooker. The lid lifted, releasing a puff of steam and fragrance that made everyone take a breath.

“I could tell one grain from the other in my mouth,” said Ning, who gave it a top satisfaction rating. “My boyfriend said it was like the braised rice he had back in his village. It is very good.”

The rice was not grown in traditional rice paddy, where fields are filled with fresh water, but on a salty beach on the Yellow Sea coast in Qingdao, Shandong.

China has one million square kilometres of waste land, an area the size of Ethiopia, where plants struggle to grow because of high salinity or alkalinity levels in the soil.

Agricultural scientist Yuan Longping, known as China’s “father of hybrid rice”, told mainland media that if a tenth of such areas were planted with rice species resistant to salt, they could boost China’s rice production by nearly 20 per cent.

They could produce 50 million tonnes of food, enough to feed 200 million people, he said.

A research team led by Yuan, 87, recently doubled the output of seawater rice, which in the past was too low for large-scale production.

In the mid-1970s, worrying about how to feed the world’s largest, and rapidly growing population, the Chinese government started looking for rice species that could grow in salt-soaked fields.

A major discovery was made by Guangdong-based researcher Chen Risheng, who stumbled on a species of red wild rice near a mangrove forest in Suixi county, Zhanjiang.

After decades of trait selection, cross-breeding and genetic screening, researchers across the country came up with at least eight candidate species, but their productivity remained low, at two tonnes a hectare, just a third that of ordinary rice and insufficient for large-scale planting.

Where did that rice in your bowl originally come from?

Last month, at the nation’s largest seawater rice farm, in Qingdao, the output of Yuan’s seawater rice exceeded 4.5 tonnes a hectare, according to state media reports.

Yuan Ce Biological Technology, a Qingdao-based start-up and business partner of Yuan’s team, said it set up an online shop in August, branding the rice “Yuan Mi” in honour of the project’s chief scientist.

The rice now being sold was harvested last year. This year’s crop will enter barns next month.

Each kilogram of “Yuan Mi” costs 50 yuan (US$7.50), or eight times as much as ordinary rice. It is sold in packs weighing 1kg, 2kg, 5kg and 10kg.

Nearly 1,000 people placed an order last month, and six tonnes of the rice had been sold since August, a Yuan Ce sales manager said.

“Our sales revenue target is 10 million yuan by the end of this year,” he said.

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Man arrested over fatal accident in Honiara

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

A 39-year-old vehicle driver is in Honiara police custody over the death of a 70-year-old male during an accident in Central Honiara on October 14, 2017.

The deceased passed away at the National Referral Hospital on the night of October 15, 2017.

Police have already charged the driver with driving with the presence of alcohol above the prescribed level in his blood, driving an unlicensed motor vehicle and driving an uninsured motor vehicle.

But he is yet to be formally charged with causing the death of the deceased through reckless driving.

“The incident occurred along the Mbokonavera Road, opposite the Holy Cross Cathedral, when the 15-seater bus that was heading towards the main road allegedly hit the deceased as he was trying to cross the pedestrian crossing. It was alleged that the deceased was under the influence of liquor,” says Staff Sergeant George Mouli of the Kukum Traffic Centre.

“The driver reported the matter to the Honiara City Council and he was referred to the Police.

“A breathalyser was conducted and the driver was positive with a reading over the prescribed alcohol in his blood.

“Police once again reminds all drivers and of cause pedestrians to take care when using our roads.

“The drivers of our public buses have the extra responsibility of taking care of their passengers.

“All public vehicle owners must also make sure that their vehicles are licensed and insured,” says Staff Sergeant Mouli.

Police are continuing their investigation into the incident.

–POLICE MEDIA

Red alert for Ugi national wharf project

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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BY SAMIE WAIKORI

THE Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) will drop the national wharf project for Ugi Island, Makira-Ulawa province, if land disputes are not resolved soon.

Director of Civil Engineering under MID, Mr Harry Rini told this to Island Sun yesterday, adding that the project is one of two which MID had tendered out – the other is for Western province.

He said the one for Western province, unlike its counterpart in Ugi, is going on well.

“Just shortly after we tendered the national project we received a letter demanding the government money before constructing the wharf on its proposed site.

“The person demanded $SBD3.3 million to be paid to him for the ‘right of access’ the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Survey has granted him to use the site which a registered land.

“The person is a logger and he used the site as his log pond. And engaging the national project on the site will relocate him from the site.

“This is the reason he was demanding the government the sum of money,” Rini said.

He said MID will have an internal consultation with the commissioner of lands to look at possible ways to deal with the issue.

Rini said the proposed site was given to the person upon an application he made to the ministry of lands to use the registered land for some purposes.

However, Mr Rini said the agreement expired last year but the person is still holding on to that government-land.

He said these are some of the areas the two ministries will look at in dealing with the issue to ensure the project is delivered to the people of Ugi.

Mr Rini also says the province’s government has indicated its desire to have project implemented.

Mr Rini appeals to the people of Ugi and opposing parties to see the benefit the infrastructure will bring to everyone.

BDM export permit holders hit by illegal harvest claims

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0
Bags of Beche-de-mer being unloaded from the MV Onogou yesterday from the Lord Howe Islands. As of yesterday no known buyers of the sea product was known as the Ministry of Fisheries is yet to determine that. PICTURE BENZ NEWMAN.

BY JARED KOLI

THREE of the four Asian locally-registered companies granted licence to export beche-de-mer product are alleged to have been illegally harvesting the product in Ontong Java during the ban period.

Dr Reginald Aipia, of the Ontong Java Development Authority, is stunned the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) gave the three their licences despite knowing their illegal activities very well.

Dr Aipia told Island Sun last night that these three Chinese exporters have manipulated the beche-de-mer prices set by MFMR, released in the media this week.

“The prices set by MFMR are controlled by these people, $500 for White Teatfish and $400 for chalk as minimum price fish very low whereas in overseas market these are $USD125 to $USD260 per kilogram.

“It is unfair when they have more product and slash the price, this costs the country to lose revenue collection and people lose their resources which they should benefit from,” Dr Aipia said.

“Because they have done illegal harvest and when the ban open in September they have already have lots of beche-de-mer and that is why they have lessen the price to $500,” he adds.

Dr Aipia said he had presented this to the government Caucus, and is surprised why MFMR has set the price to $500 for whiteteat and $400 for chalkfish.

“Such will affect people with credit from Chinese for their product during the harvest could not be paid in full, and it will roll over.

“If they put up price, let say export price is $1000 so that buyer can pay from $800 to $900 is fair enough with people from Ontong Java and our local people.

“Now, it’s totally unfair and MFMR officers should be terminated. Someone somewhere within is getting a kick back from these dealings,” he said.

Earlier, Dr Aipia had informed the paper that last year Chinese buyers from Honiara gave $40,000 to the Ontong Java House of Chiefs to engage people to illegally harvest sea cucumber.

“700 bags of flour and 700 packets of sugar were also given by the Chinese buyers on the condition that Ontong Javans dive and prepare the sea cucumber for them before the Ministry of Fisheries announce the date of the harvest period.

“They even know beforehand that the harvest period would open in September 2017 and already stock up sea cucumber ready to give to the Chinese buyers by August this year,” he said.

Dr Aipia said three prominent figures in Ontong Java are behind all these dealings with the three Chinese.

Gov’t urged to revoke BDM licence

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

BY JARED KOLI

FISHERIES Minister Snyder Rini has been urged to ‘have a heart’ and use his powers to revoke a cabinet decision that permits only four beche-de-mer exporters for this harvest season.

A well-placed source, who has spent the last 15 years working with multiple local-based Asian beche-de-mer exporters, said having only four exporters will result in low competition among the buyers and impact hard on the resource owners.

“I work with them and knew very well what these Asians have been practicing during the past beche-de-mer harvest periods. They are good at manipulating prices. At times they lied to local sellers that there is a cut of price of beche-de-mer in overseas market.

“My concern is to have more buyers to allow a competitive market but at the same time enable people to have the best benefit they can have on their resource,” the man, who requested anonymity to protect his job, said.

He claimed one of the four Chinese beche-de-mer exporters has been red-marked by MFMR for breaching some of its regulations during a past harvesting period, but yet MFMR granted him an export permit.

MFMR, when reached over the matter, said; “The Ministry of Fisheries only implements cabinet decision and only cabinet has the power to revoke any decision.”

“As per your question regarding the claim by your source that one of exporters has issues with the Ministry of Fisheries – that issue has been cleared and therefore the Ministry cannot hold anyone liable for something that has already been resolved.”

Finance ministry queried on missing Didao $1m shipping grant

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

BY JARED KOLI

THE Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MoFT) has been urged to come clean about the missing $1million shipping grant allocated to Didao Development Corporation (DDC).

Revelations furnished to Island Sun yesterday speaks volume of the inconsistency going on in the government’s top financial bureau.

DDC spokesperson Heddy Brian Wanealafa says he has been following up with the MoFT auditor general and the accountant general but they maintain that the payment has already been made.

The company, owned by local businessman Toata Molea, applied for $1 million through the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) Shipping Grant from the National Government Transport Fund in September 2015 and was awarded in October 2015.

“Payment was then said to be paid by January 2016 through MoFT, but since then not a single dollar was paid to the company,”

“An audit report supplied by the Auditor General into the shipping grant clearly stated that we have received that $1million in 2015 but all documents are missing. What is the truth behind all this?

“No Payment Voucher (PV) or bank cheque was since accorded to the company. MoFT told us the PV was lost but the payment was already made. Where are they diverting the funds to?” Wanealafa queried.

He had consulted the new accountant general (AG) Anna Halea over a month ago to raise the PV but have not had any response since then.

“I want MoFT to clearly state which committee or panel decides on the issue to divert funds. Outgoing Finance Minister Snyder Rini must be held responsible for this,” he alleged.

He maintained that no one in the MoFT has the right to change the award which was given by MID.

Wanealafa said the company stands its ground and wants to know the reason behind this missing money and who is responsible for it.

“I want the current Accountant General to come out clear and point to where the payment was directed,” he said.

Accountant General, Anna Halea, who had recently took up the role in May this year, when contacted yesterday maintained that she is not aware of this issue.

“The issue of shipping grant was decided when I wasn’t taken up this post, and I have no idea about that.

“I don’t have any document related on the issue, might be somebody else,” Halea said.

She instructed this newspaper to check with the Financial Management Information Systems (FMIS) which deals with bank electronic transfers.

FMIS Director Mr Michael Menapi when reached also denied having any idea on the issue.

“Sorry, I’m not in a good position to answer that because I have no idea with that issue, we only deal with the information system,” Menapi said.

He told the paper that Chief Accountant Harriet Honimae would be a right person to comment on the issue – but she is on holiday leave.

The paper then contacted the Permanent Secretary (PS) through his Executive Personal Secretary (EPS) but the PS was not in office.

Opposition condemns PM’s leaked letter

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jerry Manele

THE Parliamentary Opposition Group has strongly condemned a letter published in the media written by the Prime Minister to an Indonesian company.

The media last week released a letter written by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare to controversial Indonesian Company, Bintan Mining Company (BMC) which operates bauxite mining on Rennel Island.

In a statement yesterday, Opposition said the response by the Prime Minister was ‘lame’ as the letter by the Prime Minister to Bintan is not only ‘fishy’ but raises a lot of questions than answers.

“Any letter to acknowledge investors for their contributions to the country should be done by the ministry responsible and not necessarily from the Prime Minister. When a Prime Minister writes directly to an investor it raises a lot of questions of integrity and personal interests with the company. How many other foreign and even local investors have the Prime Minister written to them to acknowledge them? Maybe none.” it said.

The statement added this also raised a lot of questions surrounding the Prime Minister’s own interests with the Indonesian company, after the media released text messages revealing the Prime Ministers connection with Bintan in January this year.

“This was the same Indonesian company the Prime Minister personally sent a text message in assuring its executive of his Government’s solidarity and that they will grant zero duty to the company in January this year,” it said.

The Opposition Group said the Prime Minister’s history with the Indonesian company is not new and is highly suspicious.

Meanwhile, the Opposition has also urged the Prime Minister to explain a letter in the media by his former SSPM which revealed that Bintan has no legal contract with the Government.

Former SSPM Andrew Muaki in his letter in the media stated that APID is the one that has a mining lease with the government on Rennell.

“APID engaged Bintan to mine the bauxite on its behalf. In simple legal terms, the government has no relationship with Bintan and vice versa. The government only has business relationship with APID. Hence, official communications regarding bauxite mining should be addressed to APID,” Mr Muaki wrote in his letter.

The Opposition also described a response by APID in Monday’s Solomon Star in trying to defend the Prime Minister as ‘shocking’.

“It is suspicious that the Indonesian company has come out publicly to defend the Prime Minister and to confirm that the letter from the Prime Minister to the company was personal. The Prime Minister really needs to clarify his interests with the Indonesian company,” it said.

Therefore, the Opposition said the Prime Minister’s connection to Bintan appears to be more than what meets the eye.

–PARLIAMENTARY OPPOSITION PRESS

4 arrested on east Honiara armed robbery

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

POLICE in Honiara have arrested four suspects in connection with an alleged armed robbery at the Panatina Ridge, East Honiara

The incident occurred on Friday morning, October 13, during which thieves took off with cash and property worth more than $50,000.

It is alleged that six masked men armed with bush knives and axes entered the house and robbed properties and cash while the family locked themselves in one of the rooms.

The security officers, who lived downstairs, tried to stop the masked men but they threw stones and empty bottles at them.

One of the security officers sustained an injury to the back of his head.

“Police have arrested four suspects and some property after the incident but wish to appeal to members of the public in the Panatina Ridge area in East Honiara to come forward with information that might assist with their investigations,” says Detective Sergeant Betty Tagini of the Naha Police Station.

“Police also want to advice members of the public to report anyone who is seen selling laptops and expensive mobile phones at a cheap price to Naha Police station on phone 39647 or the police emergency number 999.”

Police are continuing their investigations into the incident.

–POLICE MEDIA

Farmers slam beche-de-mer prices

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0
Beche-de-mer

BY BEN BILUA

LOCAL Bechdemer farmers have expressed their disappointment over the local buying price of beche-de-mer, claiming the prices are very low compared to the international market price.

In an interview with this paper, resource owner from Ontong Java who claims a vast experience in export activities, Mr Gabriel Kemaiki, said the buying price are very poor compared to marketing price.

He stressed that the beche-de-mer prices published in the media demonstrate that the Ministry is not doing its research on beche-de-mer prices and international buying prices.

Kemaiki said beche-de-mer (BDM) is a special commodity known for having a high price tag in the international market as demands and volume of products remain high.

He said the integrity buying price imposed by the Ministry for local buyers is questionable because there is a high average gap between the domestic price and international buying price.

“We started to think that this is another move to lower the price and whoever is dealing with the current bechdemer business will going to get away with huge amount of money,” Mr Kemaiki said.

He said Ontong Java agents are buying BDM at higher prices than the price list published by the Ministry because they know the international market of beche-de-mer is high.

Kemaiki said the legal domestic buying price of BDM will affect local buyers and rip resource owners of their benefits.

He suggests the Ministry to open up the market so that resource owners can shop for better market.

Kemaiki said the Ministry should focus on monitoring the international market and let the resource owners and the exporters decide the domestic buying price.

He continues to say that the decision made by the Ministry to accept only four license holder for exporting bechdemer is a cheap move by the government and Ministry responsible.

“The government already experience involvement of third party in the previous beche-de-mer export activities.

“We experienced that beche-de-mer export licence holders are joint business and in most cases these businesses export beche-de-mer under one licence holder.

“This practice open up an opportunity to law breakers to invade taxes and at the end of the day the government will lose lots of revenues,” Kemaiki said.

He said the ministry of fisheries must think carefully before making its decision otherwise rules and regulations imposed to manage beche-de-mer business are made on the best interest of bad business people and not the people of Solomon Islands.

Responding to allegations, the ministry of fisheries explained that they came up with minimum benchmark prices after they compared the prices used by our neighbours in the region.

A statement from the Ministry says that the recommended prices are there as benchmark prices.

“What this means is those with license to export must not go below this recommended prices when they buy BDM from the resources owners.

“Additionally, the value of each species when dried will depend on the species, the sizes of the product and the quality of the processing (colour, smell, texture) etc.

“To try and compare international prices with the ones set out by MFMR is unrealistic because of the above reason in bold,” the statement says.

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