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PAYMENT QUESTIONED

Written by
Samie Waikori
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When will 5 million dollars outstanding payment for WDG be paid?

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

AUKI

A Member of Provincial Assembly of Malaita province questions the Fini led government on when to release the 5 million outstanding arrears of ward development grants to 33 wards in the province.

The question was raised with less hope whilst the current term is nearing lapse and no assurance is coming from the current regime on the fund.

The MPA, who is from the non-executive side said the delay of the fund is a blow to Ward Development Committees who have been working tirelessly to support people in the province with the fund.

He said the delay has also seems to disregard the voluntary work carry out by WDCs to draw up work plans to implement the fund in their wards.

The MPA said that common Malaitans are the ones will suffer most from the delay of the fund, since it is their money and they want explanation from the current government.

He said it is obvious that to gather the sum of money by now is challenging, however MPAs through their WDCs especially people need assurance on the fund.

According to MPG, the arrear is a built-up from 2021/2022 to 2022/2023 financial years, which started incurred during the former regime.

MPG said since 2021/2022 financial year, Ward Development Committees (WDCs) haven’t fully paid their ward development grant until now.

They explained that lots of areas had contributed to the slow-payment of WDGs or its delay and they as follows;

  • Delay by WDCs to retire ward grants
  • Slow delivery of service grants (15% contributed to WDG)
  • Funding of unbudgeted activities
  • Weak internal revenue collection

MPG said ward grant depends on the internal revenue of the province as it contributes up to 85 percent of its total budget.

They said for the past two financial years, revenue collection has been hindered by lots of areas like covid-19 and challenges faced on its revenue mobilization strategy.

According to MPG this is the area needs to strengthen, although the province doesn’t have strong internal revenue based like other provinces.

However, they said MNGFR is behind the issue and if sufficient fund is available, they will pay the 5 million ward grant arrears to 33 wards in the province.

6 men await sentence on arson case

Written by
Ofani Eremae
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0

BY ROMINAH FAKA

Six men accused of burning a dwelling house in east Guadalcanal are awaiting their sentence.

Their case was mentioned yesterday for sentencing, however, their defence lawyer did not turn up.

Court also heard that the Public Solicitors Office had lost one of its senior members, which may explain the lawyer’s absence.

Court therefore suspended the case for Wednesday, October 25.

The six men had earlier pled guilty to the charge of arson. Their remand warrants were extended yesterday.

Prosecution had told court that between May 10 – 11, 2022 at Bulokalai Village in Aola area, East Guadalcanal the six men; Philip Raeni, Eddie Leua, Daniel Naghata, Philip Kona, Charlton Kukiti and Lington Saki burned down four houses and a kitchen belonging to an elderly person and his family members.

The men said their actions were in retaliation to what they claim was the victim having practised sorcery which had led to the death of the men’s relative.

Office of Public Prosecution appears for the Crown and Public Solicitor Office appears for the defendants.

Building proper sanitation is critical for all households

Written by
Jennifer Kusapa
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BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

ENSURING that every household in the Solomon Islands has access to proper toilets is a critical goal.

WASH Specialist Issifu Adama said the commitment of the Solomon Islands Government to achieve this objective by 2030, and with seven years remaining, the UNICEF-supported WASH program is playing a crucial role in implementing the government’s strategy.

Adama highlighted the importance of public awareness regarding the necessity of proper toilets in every household in the Solomon Islands.

He pointed out that only 35% of people have access to basic sanitation services, and 45% still defecate in the open. Significant disparities also exist in the access to basic sanitation services between rural and urban areas. For instance, access to basic sanitation in rural areas is at 21%, compared to 78% in urban areas; OD 58% rural and 4.4% urban. Open Defecation reduced from 61% in the year 2000 to 45% in 2021. Over the same period, the population using unimproved sanitation facilities surprisingly remained unchanged.

Moreover, the population having access to basic sanitation has seen only a 15% increase over the last two decades, from 20% in the year 2000 to 35% in 2021.

In certain communities, the WASH program has already been launched, and encouragingly, residents are taking ownership, signifying positive progress.

Adama said the construction of proper sanitation facilities is followed by ongoing monitoring to declare communities Non-Open Defecation zones. Post NOD monitoring is a crucial step to ensure that communities maintain good sanitation and hygiene practices, allowing them to ascend the sanitation ladder.

Adama also said the UNICEF WASH program is committed to helping the Solomon Islands achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

3 men face court charged with stealing $100k

Written by
Ofani Eremae
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0

BY ROMINAH FAKA

Three men are facing court for stealing money totalling $100,000.

Junior Sifoni, Junior Jackson Bakewa and Fred Luwi are each charged with simple larceny.

Their case was mentioned in court yesterday. However, their lawyers did not turn up.

The men also told court that they would prefer to consult with their lawyers before making a plea.

Court adjourned the matter to October 30 at 9am for arraignment. Bail for all three defendants extended.

Police alleged that Sifoni, Bakewa and Luwi on September 2, 2023 had few beers and stole the complainant’s bag of money in his car containing $100,000.

The men allegedly shared the stolen money among themselves.

The matter was reported to Naha Police on September 4 and the defendants were arrested and charged.

Only $30,000 has been recovered.

Public Prosecution office appears for the Crown and Private Law firm appears for defendant.

Wale calls on Minister Avui to resign

Written by
Ofani Eremae
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0
Opposition Leader Matthew C Wale.

LEADER of Opposition Matthew Wale has called on the Minister of Lands & Housing, Ishmael Avui to issue a public apology and resign from his portfolio.

Failing which, Wale said the Prime Minister should immediately remove Minister Avui from Cabinet.

The call comes after a leaked audio recording of the Lands Minister threatening to slap the Commissioner of Lands if he did not comply with the minister’s demand to grant government land and a house to a close political crony of the minister.

The Opposition Leader said the minister who is a long time senior public servant simply knows better.

Wale urged the Prime Minister to sack the minister if he fails to resign from Cabinet.

“The threat of violence made by the minister is a criminal offence and the commissioner of police must investigate,” he said.

Further, Wale called on the Leadership Code Commission to look into the possibility of misconduct in office by Minister Avui.

The Opposition Leader said the Minister has brought the name of the Government into disrepute.

Wale adds that government policy is very clear that there is no sale of government houses.

He said it is extremely disturbing that the minister himself is threatening violence against the commissioner to force him to breach government policy.

The Minister cited humanitarian grounds as the basis for his demand but Wale said this is a mere cover up to reward a political crony.

“If this is valid ground then there are many retired public servants that should be accorded such opportunity,” he said.

–OPPOSITION PRESS

Buala Hospital faces financial strain, posing challenges for patient care and operational sustainability

Written by
Jennifer Kusapa
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Buala hospital

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

FINANCIAL difficulties are becoming increasingly prevalent for patients at Buala Hospital.

Some individuals facing health challenges have reported being asked to cover their own expenses when referred from Buala to Honiara.

According to a relative of a sick patient, the hospital claims to lack the funds necessary to assist patients in further referrals to the National Referral Hospital in Honiara.

The relative said the situation particularly is challenging for some of the sick patients, as not everyone can afford the costs of travelling.

The need for proper management of funds is evident and the current situation raises concerns about the accessibility of healthcare services for all patients, irrespective of their financial means, the concerned relative said.

Meanwhile fuel providers also share similar concerns, pointing out that Buala Hospital has yet to settle their fuel payments for transporting sick patients. Typically, rural clinics, when lacking fuel, can borrow from providers and later be refunded upon reaching Buala.

However, numerous fuel providers are still awaiting payment from Buala Health Authority. This delay in settling accounts with fuel providers further adds to the financial strain on the hospital.

A retired nurse Leslie Boiregia who also run a fuel depo told this paper that from what they heard was that Buala Hospital’s accounts are overdrawn, indicating a lack of sufficient funds.

Despite efforts to contact the Director of Health for Isabel Province, this paper has been unsuccessful in obtaining clarification on the matter.

Nurses at Buala also confirmed the shortage of funds for transporting patients for further medical treatment. Consequently, families and relatives are left with the burden of meeting associated expenses.

This dire financial situation not only affects the patients but also hampers the hospital’s ability to operate smoothly.

Patients themselves have voiced deep concerns regarding Buala Hospital’s insufficient funds to support medical assistance adequately.

The financial strain on both patients and the hospital’s operations poses significant challenges in ensuring that essential healthcare is provided to those in need.

ENDS///

$1.6m PCDF funding for Ote clinic worth it

Written by
Samie Waikori
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0

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

MORE than 2,000 rural dwellers within Roone and surrounding communities in ward 22 of Small Malaita are benefiting from the newly built Ote rural health clinic.

The clinic was built by Malaita provincial government with a PCDF funding $1.6 million under the current leadership of MPA for ward 22, Martin Mae.

Speaking to SunAuki, the MPA said the clinic project has completed and with the need for its service, it began services in January this year.

He said prior to Ote clinic, people within Ote area were served by Tawaro and Sa’a rural health clinics which are both far away from Ote.

Saying that resulted in health challenges encounter on areas such as transportation, weather, finances and others that put health a gasping service for them.

Mae said with the recent operation of Ote clinic, the challenges have gone while health service is served within their proximity.

He said his people are grateful for the national government through Ministry of Provincial Government (MPGIS) and MPG for the project and the health benefit it has on them.

“The $1.6 million clinic project has worth it with both its implementation and importantly the service it will provide to my people and generations to come,” Mae said. 

Meanwhile, the MPA said that since the completion of the project, it is yet to hand over to the communities and they behind it.

He said his communities are planning the handing over of the clinic project soon to which they will officially receive it from the national government.

The MPA thanked the national government through MPGIS, the PCDF programme and MPG for the project as its service to his people.

Free workshop on data analysis in Excel with AI Tool

Written by
Ofani Eremae
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0

BY NED GAGAHE

Solomon Islands National University (SINU) is offering a two days free workshop on Data Analysis in Microsoft (MS) Excel with AI Tool from Thursday 26 – Friday 27 October at the Panatina Campus.

The workshop will be facilitated by trainer, Mr. Pappu Kapgate, Head of India-Solomon Island NextGen Center for Excellence in Information Technology (IS-CEIT), SINU announced this on its Facebook Page yesterday.

The training will be held at IS-CEIT Building, SINU Panatina Campus.

“This is to inform you that there is an upcoming FREE workshop entitled “Data Analysis in MS Excel with AI Tool.”  This workshop is open to SINU staff, students, government officials, and anyone who is interested in enhancing their data analysis skills in MS Excel.

“Briefly, the India-Solomon Island NextGen Center for Excellence in Information Technology (IS-CEIT), situated at SINU Panatina Campus, is pleased to host this complimentary workshop as part of our efforts to showcase and promote the center.

“Our primary goal is to raise awareness about the state-of-the-art facility centre within SINU, which specializes in delivering comprehensive ICT domain training. This initiative is designed to reach a broader audience and underscore the resources and expertise available within the centre.” SINU said.

Workshop Objective are;

• To learn the basic and advanced functionalities of Excel and

• To learn data manipulation and analysis to solve business problems using case studies.

• To understand common tricks in Data Analysis (e.g., Bucketing & Segmenting)

• Create visualisations to analyse and present data/important insights

• Understand the common errors while working with MS Excel

Meanwhile, for registration SINU urged those interested to visit their Facebook page for more details on how to register.

HCC to enforce act soon

Written by
Ofani Eremae
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0

BY INDY MAEALASIA

HONIARA City Council (HCC) is planning on enforcing its Honiara City (Amendment)(No.2) Act 2023 by next week.

HCC Acting City Clerk, Jefferson Patovaki announced this to the public during the SOL2023 talk back show held at SIBC on Sunday.

Patovaki said they have proposed on enforcing the act on the 23rd or 24th of this month.

“The task force that is jointly organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Honiara City Council have proposed 23rd or 24th to commencement the Amendment act (No.2)” he said.

He explained that commencing the act is important as it gives certain actual powers to HCC law enforcement officers.

“The significant commencement of the act gives our law enforcers more powers that is similar to the power RSIPF currently have,” he said.

“It means our law enforcers can now once the act commenced, they can search you, they can arrest you and detain you if they are suspicious of those selling betelnut and all these.”

So far HCC’s first cohort of 30 law enforcements officers are undergoing three weeks of training with the RSIPF in preparation to enforce the act.

HCC legal officer, Paul Inifiri explained that the delay of enforcing the act was due to the need for law enforcement officers to undergo professionally training.

In regards to the betelnut ordinance, litter ordinance, Market ordinance and Dog Ordinance, Inifiri said they are still with the legal draft team of the Attorney General’s chambers and will be gazetted before the end of the month.

Opposition isn’t a rival but a partner: Kenilorea

Written by
Ofani Eremae
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0
Peter Kenilorea Jnr.

BY INDY MAEALASIA

Member of Parliament for East Are’ Are, Peter Kenilorea Jnr has uttered that the parliamentary opposition group is not a ‘rival’ but rather a partner in progress.

He mentioned this in his keynote address at a Solomon Islands transparency youth democracy workshop earlier this week at Honiara Hotel.

Kenilorea said in a democratic country like the Solomon Islands, the opposition group does a lot for the nation.

“It brings different perspectives to the table, scrutinizes government actions, and offers alternatives that can lead to better policies. It is through this constructive critique and open debate that the best solutions emerge, allowing our nation to evolve and grow,” Kenilorea said.

He added that as a diverse country, the opposition group symbolize unity by representing the strength that emerges from respecting and embracing our differences and making the nation unique.

Kenilorea further explained that the opposition’s key function is to hold the government accountable for its actions.

“The opposition group serves as the guardian of accountability, the sentinel of transparency, and the voice of the people.

“It is not merely an opposing force; it is a force for good, challenging the government, offering alternatives, and advocating for the rights and well-being of our citizens.

“Its role is, fundamentally, to hold the government accountable, to question policies, and to ensure that the highest standards of governance are upheld,” he said.

He added that it is important to acknowledge the role the opposition group play.

“Whether in government or opposition, it is important that we recognise the critical role of the opposition. It is a role of great responsibility, one that should be carried out with the utmost dedication to the well-being of our nation and its people” he added.

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