By EDDIE OSIFELO

THE Public Accounts Committee is scheduled to hold public inquiry into the Honiara City Council audit report and 2019 budget outcomes after Parliament meeting on November 19.

Chairman of PAC, Douglas Ete confirmed this after the Committee’s meeting in Parliament yesterday.

Ete said the Committee agree to schedule the dates for the inquiry and passed it on Monday.

He said the Auditor General Office, Ministry of Home Affairs, Honiara City Council will be among stakeholders that will appear before PAC to testify on the audit report.

Furthermore, Ete said 2020 budget outcomes is still be completed and will need to through the process before reaching the PAC.

The Auditor-General received a request from the Minister of Home Affairs to do an urgent spot check on the Council finances and dealings on 18th June 2020.

This is due to media allegations on the Council administration mismanagement.

An audit pursuant to s.108 (3) of the Constitution, s.35 (1) of the Public Finance and Audit Act Cap 120 was conducted on the Council accounts and records on specific matters of concern.

In the meantime, the Government is likely to move a motion next Thursday to pass a resolution to spend month a quarter of 2019 budget from January to April 2021.

This is because the 2020 budget proper is not ready to table this sitting due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The government will also table a motion to extend the State of Public Emergency for the next four months when it ends on November 25.

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

APPROVAL, informing recipients, signing of contracts and also raising of payments on the remaining part on the Economic Stimulus Package (ESP) continues this week.

Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MoFT) Permanent Secretary (PS) and Chairman of the ESP Committee McKinnie Dentana said with the process, they expect it to continue until the end of this month November, and probably payment will still continue next month December.

Mr Dentana updating on the ESP during yesterday’s ‘Covid-19 Talk-Back’ show said as of last week, their team have been trying to complete the last process especially on the remaining sectors such as in agriculture, fisheries and tourism.

“Approval, informing recipients and signing of contracts and also raising of payments on the remaining part on the stimulus package continues this week. This process we expect to continue up until the end of this month [November] and probably payments will still continue next month. But most of the formal process on approval and informing recipients as they come and sign off contracts and such, we expect it to conclude this month, while payments will still continue,” said Dentana.

“As of last week and this week, our team both from the ministry of finance, Prime Minister’s Office and the committees tried to complete the last process especially on the remaining sectors, mainly on agriculture, fisheries, tourism, and payments of  informing recipients progresses as of last week and will continue this week.”

The Permanent Secretary of MoFT said in terms of release of ‘public information’ is a priority and commitment on the stimulus package.

“As I have informed the public earlier, it is a requirement from the donor fund that also support the stimulus package that all information must be released,” said Dentana.

“But the avenue to release is what we are still progressing on at this stage. Uploading of all the applications is complete. We are waiting for final approval on some of the sectors before we upload the list of approval into the system. And that process we expect to conclude within the next one or two weeks and hopefully by the end of this month we should formally launch the software and information can be accessed through this process, or the platform that we design or recommend.

“So certainly information will be released on public as well as certainly proper channel will be provided.”

Mr Dentana in elaborating assures the public that the approval process still falls within the ‘four structure’ of the stimulus package.

“I want to assure the public that the approval process still falls within the four structure of the stimulus package as other policy approved in May. There is no misallocation or miss-approval according to the relevant structure of the stimulus package. The process of approval too still maintains as on the guidelines of the stimulus package, screening have been done by the screening committee, coming to the committee of the Oversight Committee, implementing, awarding, and of course the verification part has also been done by the government as well. So those processes still maintain,” said Dentana.

In final update, Mr Dentana said they have completed the first round of monitoring and evaluation of those who have received the stimulus package from July up to August.

“So report has been done and we expect to present it to Caucas and the government on Tuesday [tomorrow] this week. The report covers how the fund is used, what is its impact, so there is the commitment to ensure that the money or recipient who receives the stimulus package also meets their obligation and it goes towards the right purpose,” said Dentana.

“The first round of report is complete, I thank the youths engaged, managing to meet people who received the support and also ask and get their information. This is a report that will also be uploaded to the website and at the same time this information as soon as the process of auditing takes place, will also be available at Parliament, so there is no intention for information will not be withheld. All the relevant information related to the stimulus package will be public information for everyone to be able to access.”

BY ALFRED PAGEPITU

PRE-POLLING for certain citizens who will not be available for voting on Wednesday this week is on today.

One pre-poll station will be made available to each constituency.

Pre-polling for Central Honiara will be held at the St Barnabas Cathedral while pre-polling for Northeast Guadalcanal will be held at Balasuna Bible Centre.

All campaign trails will wrap up tomorrow as North East Guadalcanal and Central Honiara Constituencies go to the polls on Wednesday, November 18 to elect their members of parliament.

A total of 14 candidates are vying for a seat in this week’s by-election for Central Honiara and North East Guadalcanal constituencies.

A concerned Central Honiara voter told Island Sun yesterday that some voters are still in tight race among candidates as by-election looms in the City.

“Most people reside in Honiara are now battling to win the minds of voters.

“There Ten candidates have been nominated and registered to contest the Central Honiara Constituency while four (4) for the North East Guadalcanal constituency.Only 14 candidates have been nominated for the two Constituencies by-election.

“Voters must look for the right leader or person that will lead both constituencies to share the concern of people in the parliament,” he said.

Meanwhile, 37 polling stations are set for North East Guadalcanal and 20 polling stations for Central Honiara.

Based on the 2019 data, the electoral office is expecting a big turnout of voters on polling day.

According to Chief Electoral Officer Mrs Jane Waitara, Central Honiara constituency is one of the biggest constituencies in the country with a higher voter population of 15,989 registered voters and North East Guadalcanal Constituency has a voter population of 5,168.

Seven observer groups and 59 individual observers will participate in the election this week.

Two former prime ministers are also in the political race for the top spot since the ousting of the former Members of Parliament (MPs) for the two constituencies.

The 10 candidates for Central Honiara include three females and seven males. For N/East Guadalcanal one female and three males.

Female candidates for Central Honiara include Pauline Radoe Firisua, Rose Annie Anilabata, and Jennifer Fugui. All are contesting as Independent Candidates. 

The male candidates for Central Honiara include runners up of the last election- Alfred Efona, Gordon Darcy Lilo, Joseph Douglas, Michael Tofu Saru, Frank Aote’e, Frank Sade Bilaupaine and Barnabas Bosokuru Henson.

Efona was the runner up of the last election behind John Moffat Fugui and will be contesting under the Solomon Islands United Party (UP) whilst Lilo is contesting under Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement, Aote’e with People First party, and the other four are independent.

For North East Guadalcanal, a runner up of the last election Derek Sikua is contesting under the Solomon Islands Democratic Party (SIDP), whilst Mr Tavali under United Party.

Both Mr. Norua and the only female candidate Mrs. Ethel Lency are contesting as Independent.

LEADER of the Independent Group, Dean Kuku calls on the Governor General to retrieve some of the emergency powers vested in the Prime Minister following the suspension of some senior nurses.

In a statement Kuku said:

“I am deeply disturbed as a one-time public service minister, that due process wasn’t followed to warrant the nurses’ suspension.”

He said there are preconditions for suspension, as highlighted in various high court judgments, which included:

1. That suspension orders must be in the interest of public service
2. Investigations should have been carried out prior to the suspension
3. Whether it is considered undesirable to transfer the suspended officer to other work while disciplinary proceedings are carried out.

Kuku said the suspended nurses had a justifiable claim for which they may be disciplined, but there is a process government must follow which protects both government and the suspended individuals.

“Sadly, this wasn’t the case,” the Independent leader said.

“It seems, the PM undoubtedly put unnecessary pressure through the oversight committee on Covid-19, on the public service, through the permanent secretary to issue letters of suspension,” he added.

Kuku said the government’s action was an attack on our democracy emanating from the unintended consequences of the powers vested in the Prime Minister under the State of Public Emergency for which the PM and GG must be held accountable.

“I call on the GG to intervene, because the PM’s powers under the state of public emergency is not unfettered, rather it can be checked, given the collateral damage caused.”

Kuku said looking at what transpired in the nurses’ suspension there was no way they would receive justice in their cases from the public service because the process leading to their suspension is already tainted with irregularities.

“The public service has a big role to play fair go, and be the buffer when political interference comes to play.

“But when we give allowance for this to play out unchecked, it simply means our country is leaning towards dictatorial governance.

“In its current form, it is too open for executive abuse.”

–INDEPENDENT PRESS