Logging industry not in Malaita’s interest at this time: Premier Suidani

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BY SAMIE WAIKORI

AUKI

PREMIER of Malaita province Daniel Suidani has reiterated his stand that logging is not in the interest of Malaita “at this point in time”.

In an interview with the paper over the weekend he said the logging industry goes against the policies which guidelines his Malaita Alliance for Rural Advancement (MARA) government’s ruling of the province.

“The MARA government discourages logging industry due to the fact that the industry only came with destructive issues.

“Polluted water, damaged environment, created tribal arguments over lands and lots more matters.

“So we see it as a kind of development Malaita province doesn’t need to be in the province at this point of time,” said Suidani.

He said MARA government encourages people to pursue sustainable harvesting of resources.

Suidani said Malaita province is planning to assist landowners on the idea through the province’s business arm the “Malaita Chazon Association”.

“We are now behind the business arm and as long as it comes back we will let people how we can work together on it.

“This is maybe by providing machineries for people to carry out sustainable harvesting of resources that will be for their greater benefits.

“So it is the plan of MARA government to do away with logging industries in the province,” he said.

Suidani said by doing that they are restoring the natural resources in the province that were damaged by logging industry and other activities.

“The objective of MARA government’s policy dwelled on restorative economy. And by looking at it, we cannot restore or sustain our economy while logging is still there.

“It’s contradicted to the policy when logging continues to take away logs in the province, and we try to restore resources in the province,” he said.

Suidani said one of their plans in a way to restore the economy is to encourage replanting of trees in the province.

He said under this restorative economy, the plan is not only on logging sector along, but also on marine resources, cultures and traditions and etc…

“It’s common everywhere in the province that our young people’s attitudes towards our cultures, norms and tradition are going astray. 

“So many things in the province at the moment are ruin and went out of hand with/without control of us resource owners.

“MARA’s policy encourages restoring the province’s resources, heritage, culture and everything by protecting them,” Suidani said.