BY LORETTA BRIGIDIA MANELE
ACCORDING to the Deputy Provincial Secretary of Malaita Assembly, the Provincial Government Act is in dire need of a review in order to cater for the provinces to become more autonomous.
Robert Wales Feratelia expressed this whilst speaking on the theme “The Challenges of Delivering Better Services within Malaita Province” to mark Malaita Province’s 35th anniversary and Second Appointed Day at the national museum auditorium yesterday.
Feratelia acknowledged the contribution of past and present leaders of the most populated and ethnically diverse province.
He said that these leaders have contributed much to the Malaita province’s political development birthed from the Marching Rule in 1945, then followed by the establishment of the Malaita Council in 1953 which saw the appointment of Salana Ga’a as its first president before the first election of a full Malaita Council took place in 1964.
Feratelia stressed that today their provincial government is operated and administered under the Provincial Government Act.
“This piece of legislation is in dire need of a review in order to cater for the provinces to become more autonomous,” he said.
Feratelia also voiced that the annual government subvention to the province is insufficient and greatly affects the delivery of basic services to rural areas in Malaita province.
“The distribution per capita against the province’s population status is inadequate. This is a major issue that must be scrutinised by the incoming national government in 2019,” he said.
