BY SAMIE WAIKORI
AUKI
MALAITA Provincial Assembly is currently without its Public Accounts Committee (PAC) after the recent resignation of three of its members (MPAs).
The resignation left the committee with only its chairman after another three committee members joined the executive.
Clerk to Malaita provincial assembly, Matthew Maefai recently told Island Sun as the assembly is preparing for its revise budget meeting, the PAC plays an important role in the budget proceeding and without them the budget won’t pass.
He said what the province needs is an urgent appointment of new members into the PAC to allow the progress of the budget to be passed for the delivery of services in the province.
Maefai said the three resigned members did so on the grounds of: family commitment, health, their insecurity and loss of trust in the executive government.
He said the members are MPA for ward 20 Jimmy Rerehe, MPA for 14 David Solo Baerara and MPA for ward 15 Edward Misite’e.
Maefai said the other three members who left PAC and joined the government are MPA for ward nine Eric Daoni Dauafa, MPA for ward six David Osuria and MPA for ward 19 Meshack Maukera.
He said the departure of these six MPAs from the PAC has left only its chairman, MPA for ward three Martin Fini.
Maefai said with only Fini, he won’t perform the role of the PAC as it needs the appointment of six new ordinary MPAs into the PAC.
He said the matter has become a concern to the office and the office of the speaker and it needs to be addressed so that it won’t hamper the budget.
Maefai said the executive has already completed the budget meeting and by now the PAC should have been looking into the budget.
He added as of Monday this week his office and the office of the speaker are yet to receive appointment of new members (MPAs) into the committee (PAC).
