The Acting Prime Minister Hon. Manasseh Maelanga, MP (Centre right) and
Country Director and Head of Pacific Regional Programme & Policy for UNDP
Pacific Office in Fiji, Mr. Bakhodir Burkhanov (Centre left) posed for a photo
flanked by UNDP officials.
The Acting Prime Minister Hon. Manasseh Maelanga, MP (Centre right) and Country Director and Head of Pacific Regional Programme & Policy for UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji, Mr. Bakhodir Burkhanov (Centre left) posed for a photo flanked by UNDP officials.
THE Acting Prime Minister Hon Manasseh Maelanga has told the Country Director and Head of Pacific Regional Programme & Policy for UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji, Mr Bakhodir Burkhanov that the Democratic Coalition for Change Government (DCCG) appreciates the continuous support UNDP renders to the country.
During a courtesy call made to the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet last Friday, September 22, 2017, one of the topics discussed include the ongoing partnership between UNDP and the Solomon Islands Government on electoral cycle strengthening.
Mr Burkhanov said his organisation stands ready to assist the government in the review of the current Biometric voting system.
In response, Maelanga said one amongst the many projects that the government will continue to seek international assistance with is the improvement to the Biometric system first used during the 2014 National General Election.
UNDP assured the acting Prime Minister its continued commitment to assisting the government in this important endeavour, particularly in view of the first post-RAMSI departure general election.
The meeting also agreed on the need to ensure adequate financial and technical capacity of the electoral management body.
Burkhanov reiterated that there is opportunity to amplify the biometric system by linking various existing databases such as the civil registry and UNDP can bring technical support based on its support elsewhere.
Maelanga, also stated that the Government, through its responsible Ministry is working hard to ensure citizens of Solomon Islands who have not reached legal age to vote during the 2014 National General Elections are taken into the new registration list so that they too can vote during the upcoming general elections in 2019.
Director of Communication Department within the Ministry of
Communication and Aviation Mr Alwyn Danitofea.
BY BEN BILUA
Director of Communication Department within the Ministry of Communication and Aviation Mr Alwyn Danitofea.
THE Television Board’s chairman says economic returns for television has been very low, leading to inconsistency of television services in the country.
Speaking during the Information and Communication Technology awareness last week Mr Alwyn Danitofea said no television company has consistently provided service due to the very limited economic return in the television sector.
“Currently Solomon Telekom Television is the only organisation who provide free to air television services in the country.
“There are other television service providers that exist but the providers require certain fees to access their services,” he explained.
Mr Danitofea also said there are certain downsides within the television regulator.
He stressed that the television regulatory body is not a stand-alone entity but depends entirely on government support through tax revenues.
Mr Danitofea said the Television Act needs to be reviewed to address certain issues that continue to downgrade television service in the country.
“We have lots of issues that needs to be properly discussed and address.
“One of the issues, for example is the television code of practice.
“At the moment, we have no television code of practice exist for interested television providers to demonstrate technical capabilities before entering the television industry.
“Again this shortfall will be drawn down to the capability of our regulation and legislation for television industry,” he said.
Mr Danitofea said the absence of code of practice creates a loophole for any television providers to air contents according to their interest and not the code of practice.
He said the existing code of practice and can be penalised by the existing Television Act are include deformation of character and copyright contents.
Mr Danitofea said Solomon Islands slowly developing and now going into ICT infrastructure to deliver the content of services as such setting proper legislations and regulatory mandate for the Television Board is very important.
GIZO police have arrested seven suspects following a raid on black market outlets on allegations of illegal selling of alcohol at several locations in the township on September 23, 2017.
Police also confiscated several cartons of beer and some cash during the raid.
All suspects have been questioned and have been released awaiting a date for their appearance in Court.
Provincial Police Commander, Western Provinces, Mathias Lenialu says, “I wish to thank members of the community in Gizo for coming forward with the information that led to the successful raid.
“This illegal sale of alcohol has been carried out in family homes and have caused disturbance within the Gizo community over the past several months.
“The easy access to alcohol such as from black market outlets has resulted in stealing, fighting and common nuisance in within the Gizo township.
“Gizo is the center of tourism in the Western Province and tourists will only visit our islands if there is guarantee that there is law and order.
“This week Gizo is hosting the Mini Tomoko Festival to coincide with arrival of the cruise boat, Pacific Eden carrying about 2,200 tourists.
“We want to ensure that our visitors feel safe when they come ashore and enjoy the facilities in the town.”
Police in Gizo will maintain visibility patrols during the Festival and the visit of the cruise boat.
South Malaita landowning parties of Parasi airfield signing agreements yesterday with the Commissioner of lands in
paving the way forward for the re-opening of the airfield soon. PHOTO by MANEBONA BARNABAS.
BY BARNABAS MANEBONA
South Malaita landowning parties of Parasi airfield signing agreements yesterday with the Commissioner of lands in paving the way forward for the re-opening of the airfield soon. PHOTO by MANEBONA BARNABAS.
PARASI airfield at Small Malaita being closed for the past seven years is now set to re-open.
In a ceremony yesterday at the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, representatives of the three disputing parties of Parasi airfield land together signed agreements with the Commissioner of Lands paving the way for the re-opening.
Speaking at the signing, Chairman of the Aviation Task Force and also the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communication and Aviation Mr Moses Virivolomo thanked leaders of the disputing parties for their understanding in agreeing to re-open the airfield while waiting for the resolution of their land disputes by responsible authorities.
“Since the closure of the airfield, residents of Small Malaita as well as East and West AreAre who have been using it to travel home have experienced hardships in travelling by sea all the time,” said Mr Virivolomo.
“Re-opening the airfield is a step in the right direction towards facilitating whatever development aspirations there are, not only of Small Malaita, but also Malaita Province and Solomon Islands generally.”
The Permanent Secretary then took the opportunity in expressing his appreciation for the tireless efforts put in by the Aviation Task Force in negotiating for the re-opening of the airfield with the disputing parties.
He is now calling upon the disputing parties of the Manaoba and Lomlom airfields to follow the examples set by the disputing parties of Gwaunaruu and Parasi airfields.
This is to allow the opening of these airfields pending the judicial settlement of their internal disputes.
“Clearing and cleaning of Parasi airfield will start immediately with the hope that Solomon Airlines will commence flights there before the end of the year,” said Mr Virivolomo.
The three disputing parties for Parasi airfield are Wawateimatawa/Ohotai Manioha, Silent No More Brothers and Taraoro/ Waiaraka.
Mr Moses Waririu of Taraoro/ Waiaraka landowners speaking on behalf of the three landowning parties during the signing said the opportunity for the re-open is a great moment for everyone as they have tried to solve this long standing issue.
“We have been affected long enough so we are looking forward to work with the government in the long term of the re-opening of Parasi airfield,” said Mr Waririu.
He added to let such development taking place be an eye-opener for others in seeing the avenue to work closely with the government for positive developments to take place.
INVESTIGATIONS into a police officer, the son of RSIPF’s deputy commissioner operations Gabriel Manelusi, began yesterday.
Police Media confirmed to this paper that Constable (PC) Moffat Manelusi is under investigation for drink-driving in a police vehicle.
“The RSIPF’s Professional Standard and Internal Investigation (PSII) Division will investigate the report which has appeared in the media,” Police media said.
However, Police media could not comment further, insisting that the case is ongoing, advising Island Sun that “any further decision will be based on the finding of the PSII investigation”.
Social media had reported that PC Manelusi had taken a police vehicle – land cruiser G-4047 on an all-night drinking spree.
According to FSII the vehicle was recovered on Sunday morning by Henderson CID officers at the Deputy Police Commissioner’s residence.
It is unclear whether PC Manelusi has been stood down from duties while investigations continue, or that he is still working.
It is understood that PC Manelusi works at the Henderson Police Post in East Honiara under the Guadalcanal Province.
REMOTE island provinces in the Solomon Islands are calling on the government to extend the beche-de-mer open period to a year.
A concerned man from Duff Island, Temotu province, Walter Baddeley said that the open-season is too short for people from remote areas like Duff.
This is because they depend on the weather, sometimes the bad weather there can last for three months and currently in Duff is rough and the people will be facing difficulties in searching for beche-de-mer, Mr Baddeley said.
“Why not the Government re-considers the opening period and allows us a year?”
Mr Baddeley said while government is concerned with controlled harvesting, it should also consider people living in the remote outliers.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources has lifted the ban placed on the beche-de-mer fishery following a cabinet decision to have it lifted.
According to the Ministry of Fisheries the open period as agreed on will be three months from September 1 to November 30, 2017.
The ban was lifted after the current fisheries (Amendment) Regulation 13A 2009 was suspended early this month.
During this open period any person or community who wishes to catch, harvest, or process for sale any sea cucumber (beche-de-mer) species can do so, the Fisheries said.
The Director of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Mr Edward Honiwala
BY BARNABAS MANEBONA
THE Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) is still in the process of deciding who will be the four beche-de-mer export licence holders.
This was confirmed by the Ministry’s Director Mr Edward Honiwala to Island Sun yesterday.
He said they are trying their best for the assessment committee to meet this week as some appointed officers being in the committee are on duty travelling overseas since last week.
“What the PS of the Ministry of Fisheries is trying to do now is to make another appointment within the Ministry to replace few of the appointed Officers on duty tour because they will be returning early next month,” said Mr Honiwala.
“We have to make some reassessment on them today or tomorrow [yesterday and today] to allow the committee to precede with their assessment for the four export licence holders.
“These are legal processes so we cannot ignore them.”
Kwailabesi landowners threaten to close down Church’s development
BY BEN BILUA
SEVENTH Day Adventist Mission’s developments in Kwailabesi, North Malaita, is facing a stop-threat from disgruntled landowners.
Spokesperson of Kao Tribe – the tribe which looks after Kwailabesi land, Mr Ambrose Oiofadolofera says his tribe will stop further development on Kwailabesi land.
He said the embargo is due to unresolved issues pertaining to the land lease between Kao Tribe and the SDA Mission on the said area.
Mr Oiofadolofera said the land lease agreement between Kao Tribe and SDA Mission had already expired in February this year and is pending review.
He furthers that attempts his tribe has made to review the land lease have been negatively met since the land lease expired.
Mr Oiofadolofera conveys his tribe’s disappointment to see failures made by the SDA Head Office to address its stand-off with the tribe.
“We are disappointed to see fundraising in aid of the development programmes still continue, though we have mentioned to the SDA Head office about our disappointments,” he said.
Mr Oiofadolofera said further development can be rolled out if the review of the land lease is made between the two parties.
He explained that his tribe is not against all the positive development and services SDA Mission have done but wants to see a common agreement made between the Mission and Koa Tribe.
“We don’t stop the development and important services that have been offered under this mission, our concern is for us to sign a common understanding under our land lease agreement,” Mr Oiofadolofera said.
He said his tribe is looking forward to discussing the issues with officials from the SDA Head Office here in Honiara.
Attempt to get comments from the SDA Church Head office was unsuccessful yesterday.
Kwailabesi is a Mission Station established by the Seventh Day Adventist Church providing medical, education and also pastoral services for the people in the area.
With the latest turn of events, these services which have been depended on by people from the area and surrounding communities are at risk of closure.
Part of the participants that attended the dissemination workshop last week.
Part of the participants that attended the dissemination workshop last week.
A TWO-day provincial dissemination workshop on the “Solomon Islands Demographic and Health Survey 2015” (SI DHS 2015) for Guadalcanal Province (GP) was successfully held and concluded on Wednesday September 20, 2017.
The event was held at the Star Event Conference room in Honiara from Tuesday 19th to Wednesday 20th, last week.
About 40 participants from Guadalcanal province various government departments, women council/organisation and the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) attended the dissemination event.
The workshop was organised by the Solomon Islands National Statistics Office (SINSO) within the Ministry of Finance & Treasury (MoFT) as part of its major roll-out programme on the SI DHS 2015 final report provincial dissemination exercise into the provinces following the official launch and Honiara dissemination workshop held in June 6 -7, 2017.
The purpose of the dissemination exercise is to ensure information (final report) of the survey reach the people in the rural areas who provided the information during the survey.
For Guadalcanal, it was a lively workshop as participants were given the opportunity to discuss topics presented and issues pertaining health concerns in the province (GP) and to ensure responsible authority (divisions) within Guadalcanal Province embarks on ways to formulate strategies to address such pressing problems.
Presenting on the topic “Malaria”, Dr Hugo Bugoro said Malaria is still a major problem in the province and the country as a whole.
He said fighting this endemic health problem means appropriate strategies must be in place and taken by both provincial and national government responsible ministries.
Dr Bugoro encouraged people to ensure everyone uses mosquito nets and other mosquito repellents to avoid catching Malaria.
He said awareness is also important to educate people about Malaria and approaches that one would take to evade getting sick with Malaria.
Other topics that also brought heated debate on the floor include child labour, women’s empowerment, HIV & Aids related knowledge and attitudes and behaviour and more.
Guadalcanal Provincial Member, Hon Brian Tuva Minister for Health and Medical Services while commending the National Statistics Office (NSO) for the survey report said the report and information within it are vital and would be a yardstick for GP health authority to ensure it frames policies to address such health issues affecting the province.
He said the report is significant given the importance that it will help Guadalcanal Provincial Government various divisions in its future policy making course.
Meanwhile, Government Statistician Douglas Kimi said apart from SI DHS 2015 other surveys and projects that the National Statistics Office are currently embark on include;
National Agriculture Survey (ongoing)
Household Income and expenditure survey – Extended for National CPI Project and poverty (ongoing activities)
Village Resource Survey (VRS) and Household Listing (new/ongoing)
Proposed quarterly Labour Force Survey (LFS) (new/ongoing).
The 2019 Population and Housing Census Preparations
He said Guadalcanal Province was given the first choice for the DHS 2015 dissemination adding NSO is also eyeing to host similar workshops in other venues in the province (Guadalcanal) soon.
Mr Kimi also called on the participants to be advocators for NSO to ensure people collaborate and support Statistics Office in providing vital and right information during the course of its upcoming survey projects.
He said providing right information to the NSO is important to guarantee it was recorded adding such support through providing right information will also help the government, stakeholders and policy makers in formulating appropriate policies/strategies that will help enhance the socio-economic development of the country.
The provincial dissemination workshop is extended to Malaita and Western province this week after Guadalcanal Province, to be followed by Choiseul, Isabel, Central, Makira, Temotu and Renbel Province.
The Solomon Islands Demographic and Health Survey 2015 (SIDHS 2015) is a nationally representative survey of 6,266 women aged 15–49 and 3,591 men aged 15–54.
The SIDHS 2015 was the second such survey for the country. The first one was conducted in 2006–2007.
The primary purpose of the SIDHS is to furnish policy-makers and planners with detailed information on fertility, family planning, infant and child mortality, maternal and child health and nutrition, and knowledge of HIV and AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.
The SIDHS 2015 is a follow up of the SIDHS 2006–2007 and is designed to provide updated data to monitor the population and health situation in Solomon Islands.
The report which contains 16 chapters summarises the findings of the SIDHS 2015 implemented by the SINSO in collaboration with the Solomon Islands Ministry of Health and Medical Services (SIMoHMS).
The SIDHS 2015 project was funded jointly by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)-Aid Programme, SIG and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
According to late evening news bulletin from Radio New Zealand (RNZI) tonight, 20 September 2017, Fiji has been lauded for taking on COP23 presidency.
Quoting RNZI the bulletin said:
“A German government official, Jochen Flasbarth, says Fiji’s decision to take on the presidency of COP23 was a bold move for a small island developing state that is also affected by climate change.
“Germany is hosting the UN climate change meeting this November in Bonn.
“At a side event this week at the UN General Assembly in New York, Mr Flasbarth linked the possibilities that can be derived when two different nations work together to build awareness on climate change.
“At the same event, the Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama reiterated the importance of working closely with Germany.
“He said “addressing climate change is at the heart of our common future. This is why the Paris Agreement is so important. We all must continue to create prosperity and to ensure the wellbeing of the nations and ecosystems of the world. To do this, we must work together”.
