BY GEORGE MANFORD
AUKI
MALAITA province will join the CITREC programme in education, tourism and export opportunities with the people and government of Canada.
Premier Peter Ramohia has also called on the national government to help provinces towards joining CITREC.
In a bi-lateral meeting between Prime Minister Rick Houenipwela and Canadian Prime Minister in London, they made it a priority to expand the CITREC programme to other provinces in the Solomon Islands.
Canada positively responded and CITREC is reaching out to other provinces in Solomon Islands. Temotu and Makira-Ulawa provinces have already joined.
Malaita premier Peter Ramohia said Canada has seen the value of this partnership through the success of Guadalcanal province, and Malaita province should not ignore such an opportunity.
He announces that Malaita is looking to follow suit.
“In a view of creating a brighter future for the people of Malaita and ensuring that we put our young people to work and my Provincial Government has joined the CITREC programme.
“We do so with good intention; we mean business and that is to advance the prosperity of my people, my province and Solomon Islands as a whole.
“As a Premier accountable to my people and province I have set a collective executive decision to go ahead with the program and join Canadian government programme and initiatives through our partnership with CITREC.
“This is one way to address the Rising sea level and adverse effect of climate change is affecting our low lying coastal areas, artificial and atoll islands and Solomon Islands as a whole in terms of assistance.
“We must seek other opportunities to help and to sustain our economic growth.
“For too long we have relied on export of natural resources as a revenue generator and this trend is a threat to our economy.
“We must diversify in recognition to our ailing economy; Malaita province had sought the opportunity to join the Labour Mobility Partnership with CITREC and Canadians.
“We can no longer wait and see but want to join our sister province Guadalcanal in exporting our Human resources to Canada so they earn and send money back to the economy of Malaita Province and the economy of Solomon Islands.
“Malaita province must find both avenue and revenue to sustain our growth; we must seek opportunity for growth.
“We must create path for our youths and we must we must put them to work.
“The MART government believe that CITREC will provide best return on investment for my people and province.
‘We are aware of the return of investment the province of Guadalcanal is celebrating through its partnership with CITREC.
“By doing nothing, the people of malaita province may be missing a great opportunity.
“The CITREC partnership is an opportunity that was introduced through the Central Government of Solomon Islands back in 2012.
“However, it was my colleague Premier of Guadalcanal province Hon Anthony Veke that opened this opportunity for my people and province.
“He is the one who has shown us the path to building relations with people of Canada through CITREC.
“Let me say to Premier Veke that you have further unified our relations as one family of Solomon Islands.
“The CITREC partnership will bring people of Guadalcanal, Makira-Ulawa and Malaita under one banner of being a Solomon Islander in a foreign land of Canada.
“It will strengthen unification of our identity as proud Solomon Islanders.
“It will help reconcile our differences if any and will help re-unite our thoughts.
“It will help us be one family, a family with one identity and being a Solomon Islander.
“As CITREC programme begins to empower our people to opportunities, I am joined by my executive government who are firmly committed to ensure that the partnership reaches to every part of Malaita province.”
Premier Ramohia call on the national government to support and assist the provinces to come up with an amicable way to ensure provincial governments in Solomon Islands join and implement CITREC programme for the financial benefit for the provinces.
