BY JENNIFER KUSAPA
PREMIER of Central Province, Stanley Manetiva says 40 years is a time to take stock and reflect on the province’s journey and where it can improve to map out the vision of the Solomon Islands.
Premier Manetiva said Central Islands, though a small province, yet has qualified as the first born of all nine provinces in the country.
He said the theme for this year’s 40th anniversary is ‘40 years on Reflections and the roadmap ahead’ which is also a time of reflections and mapping out the way ahead for the future.
He said being the first and former national capital of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate, it hosted the nation’s first state owned enterprise, the likes of Solomon Taiyo, National Fisheries Development, Sasape shipyard and hosted one of the biggest coconut plantations in the South Pacific region and once in the southern hemisphere.
And was silently contributing to the national economy of the country in the early 80s to date in the fishing and coconut industry and during the ethnic crisis and now during the covid-19 pandemic,” Manetiva said.
Therefore, Manetiva said 40 years is not the end but the beginning of things moving in the right direction.
“Our nationhood journey being 43 years on is similar to the story of the Israelites marching to the promise land”, Manetiva said
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said the theme, Reflection and a roadmap for Central Province” is indeed a fitting theme.
“Thank you Premier for reminding us to reflect on where we are now and where we want to go.
“We cannot move forward and better our lives if we do not work together.
Many of the great things and development that we see masks the collaboration, commitment and working together that happens behind the scene.
“If we want to see Central Islands Province progress, we much work together”, Sogavare said.
Sogavare also acknowledged the Premier and the People of Central Islands Province for their economic contribution made towards country over the years.
“I know that coordination between the national and provincial government together with the constituency can be improved to maximize the impact of development in the Central Islands Province.
“This is something I would like see happen, especially in aligning our policies and strategic plan”, Sogavare said.
