For the love of God

WE share the concern Transparency Solomon Islands continues to advocate, and reiterate the call for responsible authorities to take action on the findings of the Office of the Auditor General 2014-16.

Last week, we published TSI’s column which highlighted unauthorised payments in the Guadalcanal provincial government contained in the OAG 2014-16 Report.

TSI underscores that while last week’s column centred on the dubious financial activities found within the Guadalcanal province, the OAG report covers ‘All ministries, provincial governments and various funding schemes’.

TSI voices that apart from few police investigations, nothing has been done to address the crippling problems exposed by the OAG report.

If there’s a trigger to worry citizens of Solomon Islands about the country’s welfare and leadership, this should be one of them.

Thumbs up to the OAG for executing its mandated task. But, that is unfortunately where jubilations stop.

The next step of enforcing or acting on the revelations in the report is lacking. And, this is what’s most concerning.

Are the authorities deliberately shirking responsibility and turning a blind eye on the Report?

Or are they incapacitated and overwhelmed by all the exposed corruption?

In a previous column, TSI outlines that OAG uncovers corruption in its audits and institutions such as the police, director of public prosecutions (DPP) and the leadership code commission (LCC) take the buck on from there and act on those findings.

This mechanism is in place to ensure corruption in Solomon Islands is kept at the most minimal level possible.

But, when one entity along the chain fails to function the whole system collapses.

Hence we end up seeing OAG reports collecting dust on the shelf, and eventually get lost and forgotten over time. And, in effect, corruption is allowed to flourish unchecked.

Citizens, for the love of God, let us not allow this to happen.

Let us join TSI in the call for responsible authorities to do their job – act on the OAG 2014-16 Report.

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