BY BEN BILUA
Gizo
THE delay of Western Provincial election has caused major challenges to ordinary people of Western Province as services became limited.
The provincial election has been scheduled to be held on December 14th, meaning the next provincial government will establish around February 2023, seven month after Mesepitu led government dissolved in June.
Since June, there were no major activities taking place as Western Province is not qualified to access funding from the government to run some of its operations.
Provincial appointees were made redundant as the welfare of the province is now placed under Western Province’s Administration.
Three months after the assembly dissolved, market vendors are feeling the pinch of the economic pressure.
Joseph Hile, one of the outspoken market vendors in Gizo, said the government’s decision to delay the election is killing vendors.
“If you go to Gizo market, prices of goods were significant dropped,” he said.
“For example; previously one heap potatoes cost $10. Now the price has gone down to $5 because of few customers and reduction in people’s purchasing power,” Hile added.
“Some market vendors from the island brought in bulk of produces only to spoil their products because of fewer customers.”
Hile said living expenses has been a challenge for ordinary people within Western Province and Minister of Provincial Government is to be blamed for causing the harships.
He described the decision by Ministry of Provincial Government as unprofessional as it has negative impacts on ordinary people.
Hile said the challenges people faced following the Minister’s decision will go down in the history of Western Province as the darkest period brought on by poor decision-making.
