No secret mission

Gina clarifies proposed trip to Malaysia

 

BY ALFRED PAGEPITU

WESTERN Province Premier David Gina says the government has nothing to hide regarding a proposed provincial ministerial trip to Malaysia.

He made the clarification in an exclusive interview with Island Sun via phone last week.

“My executives have nothing to keep secret to this mission to Malaysia and even my government is not responsible to fund this trip.

“This field trip is not political interest and nothing to do with the provincial government and the people in the province to do a secret mission in Malaysia.”

He explained that a Malaysian investor had approached his government with the proposal to send a delegation over to Malaysia to show them its capacity.

“My entire executive is aware of this trip including the outgoing Minister of Planning and nothing is secret,” said Gina.

He emphasises that the purpose of the trip is to prove what the company is doing in Malaysia in terms of Agriculture.

Gina said the field trip is not yet confirmed but the outcome of the trip will be made known to the public so that people will know what is going on in the province.

The outgoing Minister for Planning and MPA for Ward 9 Dovele, Jennings Movobule, in his response to Island Sun describes the trip as “secret till he caught up with Gideon Tuke and the two MPAs prior to their travel”.

“They try to hide the trip until I myself find out. All alone the Malaysian Company was keeping in touch only with few for their plan to harvest mile 6 and a portion in Kolobangara.”

However, he said nothing personal is going between him and the Premier or those who are dealing with the company “but I feel that this approach is not transparent”.

He said Western Province Investment Corporation (WPIC) issue which was hijacked to deny the rights of the people to have a genuine buyer for the copra is a great concern.

“There are people within Western Province Investment Corporation (WPIC) that are using WPIC for their personal gain. For sometimes now WPIC never provide any report and was never even audited too which has a high risk to transparency.

“WPIC has not been serving its full purpose except it was used by those closer in the circle.”

Meanwhile, Movobule asks the executive to explain to the people especially (farmers) who are running the copra at Noro hiding behind WPIC, as copra is not a reserved business.

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