BY SAMIE WAIKORI

The implementation of two major infrastructure projects for Afio Substation in Small Malaita, located in the southern region, is set to commence soon.

The projects include the Afio seawall, valued at SBD 1.9 million, and the Afio market, which will cost SBD 1.5 million. These initiatives aim to protect the eroded Afio seafront and provide a more conducive and improved facility for vendors to conduct business.

Funding for the projects will be provided by the World Bank through the Provincial Capacity Development Fund (PCDF), which is coordinated by the national government under the Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening.

Deputy Provincial Secretary of Malaita Province, Mr. Peter Herehura, shared updates on the preparation for the projects’ implementation.

He stated that the Afio seawall and market projects are among several PCDF-funded projects scheduled for implementation in the province soon.

 “Recently, a team from the province visited Afio Substation to conduct a feasibility study on the projects.

“The team is currently working on information gathered from the study, and once the process is complete, the projects will be put out to tender,” Herehura said.

He further noted that the province expects to tender the two projects, along with other approved PCDF projects, before the end of the current financial year on March 31, 2025.

Additionally, during the visit, a significant milestone was achieved as landowners and key local stakeholders in Afio expressed their support for the projects.

A major breakthrough occurred last week when landowners and local groups, including the Ward Development Committee (WDC), signed consent forms for the development, according to Malaita Issue, in an extract from the Small Malaita Forum.

 “This will allow work to begin as soon as contractors and funding are confirmed, marking a crucial step toward starting construction without delays.

“With these projects, Afio is set to become a safer and more economically active hub for Small Malaita.

“The completion of these initiatives will benefit local businesses and communities while also improving the region’s infrastructure for future growth.”

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SDG 14.4 requires urgent attention and action

By Loretta B Manele

The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14.4 is said to require urgent attention and collaborative action in order for it be achieved.

Nestor Giro, minister for the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) mentioned this during the opening ceremony of the Honiara Summit which officially commenced at the Friendship Hall yesterday.

Initially, he said the summit presents a unique opportunity to engage in a meaningful dialogue about the critical challenges we face in achieving sustainable fisheries management and the preservation of our marine ecosystems and resources.

Addressing Pacific Island countries and officials representing regional offices, Giro said the SDG 14.4 calls for them to end overfishing and to restore fish stocks to levels that produce maximum and sustainable yields.

He stressed that the significance of this goal cannot be overstated, especially for small island developing states like ours where the health of our marine resources is inextricably linked to our livelihoods, culture development and future.

“This therefore requires our urgent attention and collaborative action.”

He emphasized that together they can share knowledge, exchange experiences and develop innovative strategies and actionable solutions that will help us achieve this vital objective to benefit our nations and the global community.

Giro also voiced that they must be reminded of the vital role our ocean plays not only in our livelihoods but as well as in our cultures, ecosystems and communities.

He said the region’s rich marine biodiversity with its healthy tuna fish stock is a living testament to the importance of sustainable fisheries.

Giro further noted that their communities depend on these resources and it is their responsibility to ensure their health and vitality for future generations.

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BY ROMINAH FAKA

The interim mention for the case of a teacher accused of embezzling SBD 1.3 million from the Solomon Islands Government (SIG) in 2017 and 2018 was heard in the Magistrates’ Court last Friday.

During the session, both parties informed the court that they had no issues.

The trial is scheduled to begin from April 14 to 18, 2025. The matter has been adjourned to March 28, 2025, for the next interim mention, where parties will inform the court if any issues arise. The accused is excused from appearing at that hearing.

Cecilia Samani Tome was initially charged with one count of embezzlement, to which she pleaded not guilty. The trial was conducted before Principal Magistrate Beneteti Tearo. Instead of calling witnesses, the case was handled through submitted documents.

At the end of the prosecution’s case, the defense lawyer for Tome submitted a “No Case to Answer” motion. The court ruled in favor of the accused, determining that she had no case to answer for the embezzlement charge and acquitted her of the alleged misappropriation of SBD 1.3 million due to an erroneous payment deposited into her bank account.

However, the prosecution appealed the magistrate’s decision to acquit Tome, bringing the matter before the High Court. After reviewing the appeal, Judge Leonard Maina remitted the case back to the Magistrates’ Court for a retrial before a different magistrate.

Following the case’s remittance, Mrs. Tome pleaded not guilty again.

The prosecution alleges that two large payments totaling more than SBD 3 million were deposited into Tome’s bank account in December 2017 due to an error made by a payroll staff member at the Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MOFT). Instead of entering the correct payment amount, the staff member mistakenly input the starting date for Tome’s back payments. As a result, an overpayment exceeding SBD 3 million was transferred to her personal salary account.

The prosecution further claims that Tome embezzled SBD 1.3 million of the mistakenly deposited funds for personal use.

John Wesley Zoze from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions is representing the prosecution, while Ben Alasia from the Public Solicitor’s Office is defending Cecilia Tome.

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Commissioner of Labour clears King Solomon Hotel amid refuted mass sacking allegation

BY IRWIN ANGIKI

The Commissioner of Labour has said King Solomon Hotel had followed all processes to the dot in how it dealt with its workers before the change of ownership last week.

David Kaumae said King Solomon had followed the ‘normal process’ of making its workers redundant and paying them their dues before the change in ownership came into effect.

The hotel is now owned by the Solomon Island National Provident Fund (55 percent) and the O’Neill Remington Group (45 percent). The official handover of ownership was done Friday last week.

The same day a media report claimed the new owners had sacked about 35 of the hotel’s workers.

This was outrightly refuted by the new owners – Peter O’Neill, the NPF and the King Solomon Hotel management – all assuring that not a single worker has been sacked.

In his inaugural speech in Friday’s ceremony, Mr O’Neill said: “Today I hear that our good friends at the newspaper Solomon Star has indicated that we have sacked 35 of our staff here. Let me put it straight. If you had cared to ring me up or ask for my comments, I would have said we are not here for the business of sacking anyone.

“We are not here for the business of sacking. I want to assure everyone that the staff who are here, 75 of them, will continue to work here. That’s the whole idea about taking this construction as we go forward.

“So I think that information as such gives a wrong perception that we are not going to look after our people. Solomon Islands National Provident Fund is the workers’ fund. Our number one priority is to look after our workers.”

NPF in response to enquiries on Friday said: “SINPF, the new management or ownership of King Solomon Hotel will continue to employ the current staff of King Solomon Hotel.

“The story published by Solstar this morning [Friday, February 21] is not true to terminate the staff employed since the former management of the Hotel.”

King Solomon Hotel management in response to enquiries on Friday, said: “King Solomon Hotel (old company) has followed all legal requirements according to labour law.

“All staff have been taken on to continue with the new company/management.”

Supporting hotel management’s statement, Labour Commissioner Mr Kaumae said the hotel had done right by its workers following a normal process which observes labour laws and paying them their entitlements before ownership changed hands.

Kaumae explained that the former employers followed labour requirements and made their workers undergo redundancy in order to pay them their dues and entitlement before the new employers began their tenure on Friday last week.

“We had received a notice, and facilitation for payment was in process, from the Hotel.

“The workers were made redundant and payment was in process. From understanding, before changing ownership the previous employer had to pay the workers regarding how many years they had worked with the previous employer, they have to be paid any entitlement according to law. So they have to be made redundant.

“It’s a normal process. And, whoever continues to work, the new management will now be responsible for them,” Commissioner Kaumae clarified.

Meanwhile, a person close to the matter speaking on condition of anonymity on Friday said the media report was false and misleading.

“The report was based on a PR by the Workers Union which claimed that the new owners had sacked the workers. But, this is simply not true, and all the workers are continuing work as normal.

“It just may have been a misunderstanding by the Workers Union or the Solomon Star over the practice of making workers redundant, especially before a company changes ownership. No one has been sacked,” the person said.

Three workers of King Solomon Hotel spoken to after the Friday ceremony told Island Sun that all the workers under the previous employer are still working, and that they have not heard of anyone being sacked.

Meanwhile, the former owners of Hotel are the Kennedy family from Australia, who had owned it since 2002.

The hotel was established in the 1960s as the Hibiscus hotel.

The hotel offers ‘73 modern and spacious air-conditioned rooms and is built around lush tropical gardens overlooking the beautiful harbour’, according to its website info.

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By Loretta B Manele

Four villages in Isabel are recipients of a water project from Japan’s Grassroots and Human Security Scheme.

A signing ceremony between Solomon Islands Climate Action (SICAN) representing these four villages and Keiichi Higuchi, Japanese ambassador to Solomon Islands sealed the US $84,822 grant for the water project on Friday last week.

Higuchi said he is pleased to announce that the project will assist in the installation of a water supply system at the 4 villages namely; Kaolo, Kaevanga, Doga and Kabahegha in Hograno-Kia- Havulei constituency.

He expressed that one of the priority areas under the Grassroots and Human Security Scheme is to meet basic human needs like water.

Higuchi said it goes without question that everyone should have access to clean water no matter where they live.

“Access to water is fundamental for health, dignity and prosperity in every person’s life.”

Higuchi stated that they have learned that the water supply system in these four villages is not sufficiently developed.

He added that during dry season, people sometimes use water from rivers which has adverse effects on their health.

Higuchi hopes that this project will improve the living environment of the people in these four villages and believe that it will have positive impacts on the socio-economic development of Solomon Islands.

On another note, he emphasized that one important point of this project is the participation and contribution of the communities.

Higuchi said while this project is funded by the government of Japan, it is the receiving communities that must drive the project forward to improve their living conditions.

“The communities should be the moving force of the project. With the commitment of each community, we are confident that the project will be successfully and smoothly carried out and reach the anticipated goal.”

Higuchi said they hope that this project will be remembered as a symbol of the friendship between the people of Japan and Solomon Islands.

He furthered that it is a great honour to contribute to the development for the people of Solomon Islands.

“This project is a symbol of the cordial relationship between our two countries. On behalf of the government and people of Japan, I would like to reaffirm our continuous commitment to the people and the prosperity of our two countries.”

Rodrick Holness Rollands SICAN chair also took the opportunity to express gratitude to the Japanese government for their support to these four villages.

He said the signing marks an important milestone for all of them and he acknowledges the government of Japan and its people who from time and time again over the years have continuously supported and assisted grass roots communities and people in Solomon Islands.

Rollands mentioned that these four villages for over a decade have not had any water supply so they would have to paddles across the ocean to San Jorge Island to collect water for drinking and cooking and for other important necessities.

He said Kaevanga on the other hand is the central economic hub and main port to all the communities within the Hograno District.

Rollands said this signing ceremony is a step closer to achieving the much-needed hopes and dreams of the people in those 4 villages and surrounding villages.

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