BY NED GAGAHE

Premier of Central Islands Province Kenneth Sagupari has clarified concerns of unpaid costs for his executive’s recent stay at an accommodation in Honiara for the recent swearing-in ceremony.

Concerned citizens of the province are asking about who will foot the bill at Bulaia Backpackers Rest Haus in Chinatown.

It was revealed that the cost has accumulated and now totals up to more than SBD 8,000.

They said this is a repeat of the same issue in 2024, when non-executive members stayed at the same place and incurred an unpaid bill of over SBD 8,000.

However, Premier Kenneth Sagupari denied claims that all his executive ministers were ordered to stay in Honiara until Thursday, stating that most have already returned to their communities.

He clarified that unpaid bills from his time as a non-executive member were settled and emphasized that accommodation allowances for MPAs are paid directly by the Ministry of Provincial Government.

Sagupari stressed that any extra costs incurred from personal accommodation choices are the responsibility of the individual MPAs, not the Provincial Government.

“Despite assurances from the current Premier that this would be paid, no payment has been made to date and the landlord has since followed up and reported the issue.

“Who is responsible for covering the extended accommodation costs of the ministers while in Honiara on official duties? If the provincial government is not paying, then who is? It’s now been a week and the unpaid costs continue to grow.”

Concerned citizens expressed the above adding that this is a growing concern that reflects a troubling pattern of past behaviour, where personal or political expenses are incurred first and later reimbursed from provincial funds, often without proper approval or transparency.

They said this is not the type of governance the people of Central Province deserve.

“We respectfully call on the Premier and the executive team to settle all outstanding accommodation and related costs immediately. Publicly clarify how these expenses were planned, approved and whether public funds are being used in a transparent and accountable manner.

“Ensure provincial resources are not used to support political movements that do not reflect the public interest or mandate.

“It is also important to emphasize that travel allowances were already provided during the executive’s swearing-in period. Therefore, any additional personal expenses should not fall upon the former administration or be unfairly drawn from public funds.

“Let us protect the dignity and reputation of our province.

“We remind our elected leaders that holding public office is not a privilege for comfort, it is a responsibility to lead with integrity, humility and full accountability to the people,” The concerned citizens said.

Following the concern raised in the Central Islands Forum on Facebook, Premier Sagupari responded promptly to clarify the issue.

He said the claim that all of his executive ministers were instructed to remain in Honiara until Thursday is not true.

Sagupari mentioned that as of yesterday, most of his ministers have already returned to their respective wards and communities.

“Only a few remain in town, mainly those who have families based in Honiara”, he said.

On the issue of unpaid bills at Bulaia Backpackers, he said that during his time as a non-executive member under the former government led by Michael Salini, they only stayed at Bulaia when handling official lands-related business and to his knowledge, those bills were already cleared.

He said most importantly, the public needs to understand that MPAs are entitled to accommodation allowances that are paid directly by the Ministry of Provincial Government.

“If any individual MPA chooses to stay elsewhere, that is a personal decision and the Provincial Government is not responsible for those costs.

“To support our team during this transition, I have given all ministers a one-week break to return to their families and home communities before we reconvene for the Second Appointed Day. After that, by early July, all ministers will return to Tulagi to officially begin work under the new policy directives of this executive government.

“I hope this clarification helps to clear the air. Let us move forward in unity and focus on serving the people of our province with transparency, commitment and responsibility,” Premier Sagupari said in a statement.

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BY BEN BILUA

THE most anticipated Mineral and Resource Bill has been criticized by landowners in Isabel who describe it as a “Bill full of rubbish”.

Chairperson of San Jorge Island Resource Owners Association, Wilson Tohidi said the Mineral and Resource bill is no different from the existing Mines and Mineral Act.

He said the bill is vague in many aspects especially on the ownership of minerals, processes of obtaining license and sharing of benefits.

“Well, this bill would be better if landowners are recognised and capture good benefit for the people like royalty percentage increase.

“Stronger guidelines should be stipulated in the bill for investors to abide to when conducting operation in mining, for example there are other types of minerals which have value yet these other minerals are not beneficial to landowners,” Tohidi said.

He said the Mineral and Resource bill is crafted to satisfy the government’s agenda.

“What we landowners see is that the government is shaping this bill according to their interest.

“It is not in the interest of landowners. We never been consulted and this is unfair to resources owners in this the country,” Tohidi said.

He calls on the government to carry out proper consultation before tabling the bill in parliament.

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BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

The reform of the country’s five legal agencies marks the first major legal reform of legal agencies since 1978.

Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs Clezy Rore stated this during the launch of the Legal Agencies Reforms and Implementation project at the Heritage Park on Monday this week.

He said the reforms will be anchored under a soon-to-be-completed Justice Sector Strategic Framework 2024 – 2034; a framework that will be aligned to the new SIs National Development Strategy. 

“One of the major GNUT policy deliverables for the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs is to initiate and pursue policy discussions for the revision of legal mandates, which established our country’s five legal agencies, namely; The Attorney Generals Chamber, Office of the Director of Public Prosecution, Public Solicitor Office, Registrar General’s Office and Law Reform Commission,” said Rore.

“To this end, I am pleased to convey that Cabinet has endorsed their reforms and to convey that this marks the first major legal reforms of our legal agencies since 1978,” Rore said.

He said to accomplish this beginning through the Cabinet for reforms in about a year since the GNUT policy was launched in June 2024 is an achievement in itself. 

“To this end, I would like to thank the leadership of the Heads of Agencies and Staff and those of the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs. Let us not get carried away from the huge task before our legal agencies,” he said.

He said the launching event is not the celebration of an outcome, but rather it invokes a responsibility to do what legal agencies and stakeholders must do – hard work.

He said he has confidence in the ability of the country’s highly trained women and men at the legal agencies to achieve these reforms. 

Minister Rore said the pursuit of reforming legal agencies is long-term thinking and hard work.

“It is for this reason why we must address reforming our legal agencies – now.  The mission of our ministry remains to provide a vibrant and robust service to our agencies for effective, efficient and sustainable justice services to the Solomon Islands,” he said.

“Therefore, these legal agencies’ reforms are necessary to ensure that we legally re-fit them to continue providing sustainable justice services for our people,” said Rore.

He said it is fitting to reform and modernise mandated responsibilities against changing realities around what they do and must do to better serve the people. 

“In the 21st Century, the statement ‘We must adapt to be relevant’ highlights the crucial importance of adaptability in a constantly changing world,” he said.

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BY NED GAGAHE

Solomon Islands Maritime College will host this year’s International Day of Seafarers on Wednesday 25th June 2025 at Ranadi Campus, Honiara.

The event will be celebrated with the theme “My Harassment-Free Ship” and will focus on promoting safe, respectful and inclusive environments for all seafarers.

A statement from SINU said the event will feature a formal parade and flag-raising ceremony, followed by an official program featuring keynote speeches, cultural performances and a special student presentation titled “Girls at Sea”. A newly composed seafarers’ song will also be performed.

A special remembrance ceremony will also be held in honour of seafarers who lost their lives at sea or during service.

This will include a moment of silence, prayers and the laying of wreathes at the waterfront jetty.

One of the highlights of the event will be the 2025 Seafarers’ Big Show, a live firefighting and maritime safety demonstration to showcase the practical training and emergency preparedness of SIMC students.

Following the official program, guests will be invited to tour a series of academic and practical booths set up around the campus.

“These will include exhibits on nautical studies, marine engineering, sea survival equipment and STCW SOLAS short courses with live demonstrations conducted by students and instructors.

“Booths hosted by Women in Maritime, SIMTA, SIMA and SIPA will also be featured as part of the wider celebration.” The statement said.

The day will end with informal networking and public tours; offering a chance for visitors to engage with students, trainers and industry professionals.

According to SINU, the event is free for the public and those interested are encouraged to attend and witness the lively activities set for the day.

“SIMC invites the public, industry stakeholders, families and friends to join in celebrating this important day and to support the advancement of a safe and inclusive maritime workforce.” The statement said.

Observed annually on 25 June, the International Day of the Seafarers recognizes the vital role seafarers play in the global trade, safety at sea and maritime sustainability.

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