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China Construction Company says work in progress

Written by
Eddie Osifelo
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By EDDIE OSIFELO

China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) has come out to explain the progress of their projects in Solomon Islands.

This after an industry insider who chose to remain anonymous claimed the Solomon Islands’ Government has continued to engage CCECC to develop infrastructures for the upcoming 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara, even though most of its work failed scheduled timelines and quality.

The insider claimed CCECC’s work on the Solomon Islands National Institute of Sports High Performance Centre at Ranadi is far behind the scheduled timeframe.

He said another project that is far behind the scheduled timeframe is the Solomon Islands National University Complex, now experiencing leakage and other defects.

The insider pointed to even more incomplete projects including Munda International Airport terminal in Western Province, Savo-Market to Doma road in West Honiara, Monga Bridge in Aola, East Guadalcanal and the proposed PG2023 stadium.

However, project manager Qi Longbao said CCECC plans to hand over the SINIS to National Hosting Authority in August.

Longbao said CCECC has completed flooring, installed solar, ablution blocks and external toilets.

He said work has already started on upgrading the fence of the site.

Longbao said the original plan was to build a building, however NHA wants a Multipurpose Hall that will become the best in the Pacific.

He said CCECC has sub contracted the upgrading of a soccer field and beach soccer and running track to a local contractor.

Longbao said once the building accessed permanent water and power supply, then CCECC will hand over the building to NHA.

Further to that, Longbao said work on the national stadium commenced in

 May this year where CCECC has laid the foundation already.

He said CCECC expects to complete the national stadium in June 2023 before the Pacific Games from 19 November to 2 December 2023.

In terms of the upgrading of the road from Savo market to Doma in West part of Honiara, Project Manager, Liu Paodong said work on road patching has halted to allow engineers from the Ministry of Infrastructure Development to sort out the Bill of Quantity.

Paodong said the National Transport Fund has rejected their budget of $9.2 million because of the bad condition of the road.

He said engineers of MID has assessed the situation and produced a report to NTF to give approval to it.

He said MID engineers requested another $2 million to complete the project.

However, Paodong said work is ongoing on vegetation trimming, round cleaning and other work.

Further to that, he said work on the new Monga bridge is still to start because SMEC is still to complete the final design.

Paodong said CCECC machines and materials are already at the campsite, ready to work.

Moreover, Alice Wan said for the Munda airport, a Netherland company and Kramer are doing the concept plan within duration of six months.

She said Ministry of Communication and Aviation has already approved the first concept design and currently moving to second design.

Wan said once the final design is submitted to MCA and approves, then work will start on the project.

Further to that, Wan said about 90 percent of work has been completed in the Solomon Islands National University building at Panatina.

She said students are currently using the building now.

However, Wan said the project was delayed for two months because of no payments.

She said the impact of covid-19 last year has also affected the progress of the project.

Wan said CCECC is a responsible company that applies its social responsibility in the society as well by donating to communities, making awareness on covid-19, repairing bridges that were affected by Cyclone Harold and refilling pot holes.

She said the company also donated gifts to Central Police station.

As such, CCECC believes it is upholding its social responsibility and aims to improve the lives of people in this country.

East Malaita communities receive water project support

Written by
Samie Waikori
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Children from one of the community recipients of the water project in Ward 16 enjoy the newly installed borehole in their village. Photo supplied

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

AUKI

COMMUNITIES in East Malaita are to benefit from a project aimed at improving access to clean water for their villages.

The “Clean Water for Life” initiative is supported by the Member of Provincial Assembly for Ward 16, Preston Billy as a mean to address water challenges faced by communities and other public institutions like schools and clinics in his ward.

In an interview with Sun Auki, Mr Billy said under the project a total of 22 boreholes will be received by communities in ward 16 as work on the project nears completion.

“Since the implementation of the project two weeks ago; 14 boreholes was already installed and the remaining five boreholes are expected to be set-up by the end of next week.

“The focus of the project is on communities without access to water supply as it tries to ease the burden they face.

“In some communities where the project was implemented, people had to walk long distance to access clean water and the project will be a relief to them,” he said.

Billy said communities that had already installed boreholes were happy for the support as it will address the challenge of access to clean water supply faced.

He said this is the beginning of the project as more of his communities had expressed interest for the program and he’s considering it.

Billy said the implementation of the project was carried out as part of community service by community recipients of the project.

He said the project costs more than 160k and support received towards it are through ward grant and a few small businesses he was engaged with.

Billy said an official handing over of the project will be made to community recipients, after implementation of the project is complete.

More women sell clothes as result of hardship

Written by
Mavis Podokolo
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Jocelyn Kwalote’e selling her clothes at the market

BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO

TIMES are hard, and so are Job opportunities in Honiara and other urban centres around the country.

For many women, the Honiara Central Market has been a source of income during these difficult times- as the country grapples with the economic effects of the covid-19 pandemic.

And living in an urban setting, an increasing number of women in Honiara have ventured into selling of second-hand clothes at the Market.

Some of these women have had steady jobs pre-covid. The closure of international borders meant they find themselves unemployed and unable to support their families.

The sale of clothes had taken up nearly a quarter of the Central Market space.

Clothes displayed for sale at the Honiara Central Market

President to Honiara Vendors Association Moreen Sariki said the clothing sector has helped a lot of women earn money to meet their day-to-day needs.

Sariki said the sad thing is that marketing of clothes is not specified in the Honiara City Council Market ordinance, meaning it is not a secured business activity.

She stressed that when COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic vendor have felt the pressure, especially in terms of cash flow.

“Vendors who engaged in selling of wears at the market have felt the impact of this deadly virus.

Moreen Sariki President to Honiara Market Vendors Association

“If lucky a cloth vendor can earn SBD$300 a day with the lowest earning around SBD$70.

“Compared to pre-COVID days our vendors earned around SBD$3000 and above from the sale of clothes,” Sariki said.

She adds that apart from the clothing sector, others inside the market like those selling vegetables are also affected, there is no exception

 Jocelyn Kwalote’e a mother of seven and cloth vendor said during pre-COVID days the sale of their hand made fabrics generated good money to meet family needs and to keep their small money generating activity operational.

“We are badly affected during this COVID-19 pandemic because we depend very much on tourists to buy our local made products.

“We now experience that in one day only one cloth would be sold out, to us women it really breaks our heart to encounter such a difficult time brought about by this pandemic.

“I hope and prayer the pandemic will be over soon. This is because we depend very much on this money-making activity for our daily survival, “Mrs Kwalote’e said.

Warning from Isabel

Written by
Eddie Osifelo
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A recent mining exploration on Isabel Province. Photo by Axiom Mining Solomon Islands.

Mines-Mineral Board and Foreign Investment Division in the lens

By EDDIE OSIFELO

LANDOWNERS in Isabel Province are urging the Mines and Mineral Board and Foreign Investment Division to check and refuse to deal with companies that are not developing the mineral industry and cannot bring sustainable development to the local economy.

The concerned landowners expressed this concern after they heard that Solomon Islands Resources Company Limited (SIRCL) is allegedly selling imported mining machinery, and even went to sell the tenements at better price after applying for Mining License before running away.

SIRCL is currently doing prospecting in Suma, Bugotu, for nickel mining.

“If this matter is true, it will affect the interests of the Solomon Islands Government, the Isabel Provincial Government and the landowners.

“We remember there are reports in the newspapers that the person in charge of Sino Capital’s tax debts was running away,” concerned landowners claimed.

He said SIRCL and Sino Capital are both the same Hong Kong investment companies, and SIRCL running may also happen.

“We also think of the previous Bintang company’s disorderly mining of bauxite on Rennell Island without any backfilling and repairing activities, which not only severely damaged the local ecology, but also caused serious oil spill pollution,” concerned Isabelian said.

He said the landowners of Isabel have witnessed the coming and going of mining companies such as Sumitomo Metal Mining, Axiom and now SIRCL in the name of developing the province’s nickel mine.

However, they are doing improper behaviours of transferring their respective Prospecting License or Mining License applications to obtain benefits.

“They do not carry out actual development, nor did they bring actual benefits to the Solomon Islands and provincial government and landowners,” he added.

Earlier it was revealed that SIRCL has constructed wharf, pad and road in Suma without a Mining Lease (ML) to extract nickel.

Minister of Mines and Mineral is mandated to grant ML to a prospecting company on recommendation from the Mines and Mineral Board after the company complies with all the processes.

The processes the company needs to complete in order to receive ML are acquisition, exploration, evaluation, commercial discovery, environment and social impact assessment, land acquisition and feasibility study.

Director of Mines, Nicholas Biliki told journalists recently that it is highly likely the SIRCL can get its ML this year and go on with its construction and extraction.

However, Biliki said from information the company had already built wharf, road and pad for extraction.

SIRCL is owned by New Origin Resources Company Limited and Xiaodong YU.

Logger Garry Cheah is spearheading the operating of SIRCL.

On the other hand, Biliki said Solomon Islands Mining Company Ltd has submitted its Feasibility Study on the mine at Siruka in Choiseul province.

He said the company is still working on its environment impact assessment study.

However, Biliki said the company is expected to start construction and extraction next year.

SIMCL is owned by Filipino logger Johnny Sy, who is also the Director of Bulacan logging Company.

The proposed mines at Suma and Siruka are part of the mining projects the government wanted to fastrack in June 2020 to earn revenues because of the impact caused by covid-19.

Suma has estimated deposits of 10 million tonnes of nickel while Siruka has 90 million tonnes.

The Goldridge Mining on Central Guadalcanal is currently in operation while the government abandoned the bauxite mining on West Rennel by Winning Resources Limited because it did not meet some requirements.

Airline responds to criticisms

Written by
Press Release
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SOLOMON Airlines has employed flight attendants in Brisbane, Australia, due to costs and home quarantine protocols.

The airline clarified this after some people have criticized the management on social media for not recruiting local flight attendants.

Colin Sigimanu, Manager Commercial for Solomon Airlines:

“The temporary employment of flight attendants based in Brisbane was a necessary decision, because our Honiara based flight attendants preferred not to fly during the COVID 19 pandemic and were averse to living in an almost permanent state of quarantine.

“We took their position into consideration.

“To operate our Brisbane to Honiara services, the responsible solution currently, is to use Australian based flight attendants who are employed on a short term contract, or on a casual basis, as they are paid only for days worked, and can safely quarantine for 14 days after each flight, at their own place of residence and at no cost to Solomon Airlines.

“In the short term, we must do the best we can in the extraordinary circumstances and that includes finding short term solutions which are practical, fair to people and which keep costs down.

“We are currently operating just one cargo flight a week from Brisbane to Honiara and return, and with Government approval and complying strictly with the quarantine requirements of both countries are now able to offer a limited number of passenger seats for sale on those flights.

“A Honiara based flight attendant when flying an international service to Australia is currently required to spend a week in hotel quarantine in Brisbane and then on return to Honiara, spend another 2 weeks in quarantine before being able to resume a normal life.

“This is disruptive to family life and it is very costly.

“The crew who originate from Brisbane can fly to Honiara and return same day, but must also immediately enter 14 days compulsory quarantine in Australia as required by the Australian Government. 

“They can undertake this quarantine period at their home as they are Australian Citizens.

“During the 14 days, they may not leave home except to fly nor may they mix with people outside of the family. 

“There is also no cost to Solomon Airlines as they are quarantining at home.

“One of our Brisbane based cabin crew who was employed on a casual basis, is married to our Chief Pilot, and it made sense at the time as she would be in quarantine with him at home.

“These measures were taken in April 2020 with full awareness of our executive management in Honiara and agreement of the Board. 

“They were intended as temporary measures and were expected to be required for 4 to 6 months during the COVID-19 pandemic, however are unfortunately still required to continue operating.

“It is now more than one year since the global pandemic was declared and due to factors outside of our control we may still face another year before we are likely to see more international flights in our schedule.

“Our immediate priority is to do whatever is required to survive this challenging period, but our priority is, and has always been, to ensure a future for the airline and for Solomon Islanders.

“This is why the decisions such as these have been made following consultation with affected parties. 

“Home quarantine for our Solomon Islands crew is still not an option in the Solomon Islands and we cannot expect them to live in a hotel away from their families for an extended period.”

PM says situation in Fiji ‘very worrying’

Written by
Press Release
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Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. Photo supplied.

PRIME Minister Manasseh Sogavare said the situation in Fiji is extremely worrying for our students, parents, and the Government.

Prime Minister Sogavare in his nationwide address this week said citizens must not take the situation in Fiji lightly as it records more than 1,000 cases daily with recorded deaths.

He said we currently have approximately 850 students both government and privately sponsored in all the training institutions in Fiji.

However, Sogavare said just over 50 of them have graduated and can return home.

The rest, he said, will remain in Fiji.

Prime Minister Sogavare said the virus has also infected 22 of our students and dependents.

“Thirteen have now been declared inactive by the Fiji Ministry of Health whilst nine remain active. All 22 cases are asymptomatic,” he said.

The Prime Minister said our High Commission Office in Suva, the Education Attaché and other Solomon Islanders living in Suva have been supportive of our students whilst in isolation.

Prime Minister Sogavare said the Oversight Committee has also activated discussions and will inform Cabinet on the situation in Fiji.

“Timing of any repatriation flight for graduating students will be determined by our health team and it will occur when it is safe for our country to repatriate the graduating students,” he said.

Prime Minister Sogavare said that given the highly transmissible nature of the delta variant of the COVID-19 virus, in Fiji, it is not a good time to undertake any repatriation flight from Fiji to Solomon Islands yet.

“If we import delta variant cases into the country – it can spread very quickly and have a devastating effect on our population,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the Government is very cautious and will consider ways to provide support to our graduating and continuing students in Fiji.

–PMO

Three arrested in wounding incident

Written by
Press Release
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Atoifi and Atori Police have arrested three suspects on July 20, 2021 for a wounding incident at Jordan village in East Kwaio, Malaita Province.

Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Malaita Province, Chief Superintendent Stanley Riolo says the wounding incident had occurred at Jordan village via Gwaunabusu in the Sinaragu area in East Kwaio in the early hours of July 20.   

Riolo says the motive behind the wounding is land related.  The victim received wounds on both hands and was transported to Atoifi by relatives for medical treatment.  Observation by nurses confirmed that the victim’s condition is stable.

Riolo says police at Atori supported Atoifi responded to the incident and made the arrest.

The three suspects include two juveniles and an adult person. 

The two juveniles aged 12 and 13 were dealt with by Atoifi Police and were both released to appear in the next court circuit.

Riolo says the adult suspect was dealt with, transferred to Auki Police Station and was remanded.

The adult suspect was charged with grievous harm and will appear in court on a later date.

–POLICE MEDIA

Mala to protect its local businesses

Written by
Samie Waikori
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BY SAMIE WAIKORI

AUKI

MALAITA provincial government stands to protect locals in benefit sharing of business partnership under the provincial Business License Ordinance (BLO).

Deputy Premier who is the supervising premier, Randol Sifoni told Sun Auki this week that this was one of the objectives the MPG had established the BLO.

He made clarification on the ordinance following recent findings on applications for business license made by two shops in Auki that were deemed foggy and as a result the MPG ordered lock down of the shops.

Explaining the ordinance, Sifoni said BLO was passed by the MPG and became an ordinance or law that primarily looks into details of application for business license from the province.

Sifoni said the purpose of the ordinance was to protect locals or indigenous Malaitans by way of encouraging them into business.

He said with the recent findings, locals made the application with declaration that she/he owned the business, but later found the business was co-own by his/her Chinese business partner.

Sifoni said the applicant didn’t disclose his/her business partner in the application. And MPG’s concern on this case was on the benefit sharing.

He said although the matter was personal to business owners, the concerns were on whether the local would have good percentage from benefit sharing of the business. 

“Because under the ordinance any application for business license involving partnership between local and expatriates, local must own 90 percent benefit of the business.

“We saw this a way to protect locals to prosper in business as well their benefit will remain and help in the development of the province and country. 

“We stand by the ordinance and the provincial executive always abide to it when looking over business license application from interested people to do business in the province,” Sifoni said.

He said there were other businesses like logging that operate under regulation set by national government, however when operating in the province they must pay provincial license fee to grant their operation.

More good news for local kava

Written by
Ben Bilua
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BY BEN BILUA

Gizo

REGIONAL Kava Development Strategy which was discussed during the recent Trade Minister Meeting is a beacon of hope for local kava farmers.

Faiyaz Koya who was the Chair of the Forum Trade Ministers’ meeting and Fiji’s Minister for Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport said the Regional Kava Strategy will be developed under the close guidance of the Kava Working Group that will be established in the coming months.

He said interested farmers and other agencies across the Pacific Island Forum region are welcome to express their interest to be part of the Kava Working Group.

“We had discussions on the Kava Regional Development Strategy and this has reaffirmed the cultural and traditional significance and the commercial potential of kava in the Pacific.

“The Ministers recognised the value in collectively developing the product further and agreed to develop a robust strategy and policy, not only to capture the opportunities but to safeguard its origins and ownership through various legal instruments provided for in the multilateral intellectual property treaties,” Koya said.

Kava is a promising export commodity in Solomon Islands.

Farmers in Malaita, Guadalcanal and Isabel have ventured into kava since last year following a program initiated by the government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.

On November last year, a total of 60 farmers from the different wards in South Malaita, Malaita Province were trained on kava farming.

A group called Malaita Kava Revolution Movement has been voluntarily providing Kava basic training in Malaita province with the hope to help local farmers get better returns.

Similar training was carried out on Guadalcanal Province so as Isabel Province.

Mala MPA extends help beyond boundary

Written by
Samie Waikori
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Children from one of the community recipients of the water project in Ward 16 enjoy the newly installed borehole in their village. Photo supplied

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

AUKI

PROVINCIAL member for ward 16 in the East Malaita constituency, Preston Faarobo Billy has offered to extend his “Clean water for life” water project to communities in neighbouring ward 15.

He told Sun Auki yesterday he had proposed five boreholes for ward 15 and will work on a budget for the extension.

Sites identified for the boreholes under the extension include; Nafinua RHC, Feraabu Christian Bible School, Atori Church, Ulubala Clinic and Faubaba.

He explained that his colleague, the MPA for ward 15 has welcomed the assistance.

“Water is a basic necessity for life and it should not deny from people,” he added.

He said people are the centre of his leadership and did not matter where they are, they deserve support from him as a public leader.

Billy said he looks forward to working with communities from ward 15 during the course of implementing the five boreholes captured under the extension of the project.

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