BY BEN BILUA

THE workshop on ‘Reporting Corruption’ for journalists that is currently underway at the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Cooperation highlights that most anti-corruption institutions in the country have no power to directly deal with corruption.

Presentations from the Ombudsman Office, the Attorney General Office and Leadership Code Commission proved that there are certain weaknesses within their institutions due to lack of provision in the respective laws.

Ombudsman, Frederick Fakarii said the role of the Ombudsman Office is to deal with administration misconducts and is subjected to LCC.

“Our office investigate reports but not prosecute perpetrators because the law does not allows us to do so.

“Our role focuses on administration misconducts and not criminal matters and we are answerable to Leadership Code Commission.

“Upon completion of our investigation we submit the report to the leadership code commission for further deliberation.

“Our role ends there,” he said.

Chair of the Leadership Code Commission (LCC) Mr Solomon Kalu also share similar sentiment saying that LCC has very limited power.

He explained to journalists that the power given to LCC is given to the Commission and not individuals as such conducts are based on commission decision.

Mr Kalu said LCC is a body established by an Act of Parliament and that all procedures and operation are subjected to the Act and not beyond.

He told the journalists that any request from media for information have to go through the Commission Board and not individuals.

Veteran Journalist George Atkin said, weak legislation cannot guarantee media with important resources to report corruption.

He suggests there is a need for stronger legislation that would empower anti-corruption institutions and the media to fight corruption.

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

AUKI

MALAITA Provincial Secretary, Mr Jackson Gege said the last sitting for the provincial assembly this year will be made known soon.

An executive meeting is being held today whereby the date and program will be deliberated on.

Gege said they are anticipating the Provincial Assembly meeting to be held next month.

In a separate interview with Island Sun, Clerk to Malaita Provincial Assembly, Mr Matthew Maefai said there should be a meeting soon.

However this will be decided on by the Premier, Provincial Secretary, Speaker and the Clerk.

Maefai said prior to the Provincial Assembly meeting, Heads of Departments need to come up with their budget to be deliberated on in the session.

BY ALFRED PAGEPITU

GIZO

PRICES in shops in the Western Province continues to change every week. A prominent man from Kolombangara in the Western Province, Douglas Saru raised this concern over the way prices of goods in the shops has changed within short periods of time.

“I am a regular customer and I noticed this change of goods price nearly every week.”

“We travel by boat to Gizo weekly and the current pace of inflation is becoming annoying,” he added.

“The increase of price is not in cents but in dollars and this cannot be happening overnight. This is robbery”, Saru said.

Saru is calling on the authorities who are mandated to carry out price control to do something about this matter.

He said this issue cannot be ignored. He said the price and control unit needs to do an urgent assessment. He said people in the rural areas have been neglected and struggle to make ends meet daily.

Residents from TC area also shared the same sentiments. They say responsible authorities from the provincial government must also inspect shops to check for business licenses.

They alleged that a majority of the shops currently operating within Gizo have no business licenses.

They say the price control team must seriously address these issues before it is too late for them to comply with simple rules under business ordinances of the Western Provincial government.

By Gary Hatigeva

IT has been revealed that a total of $10.9 million allocation was approved for the Provincial Elections set to be held for seven provinces next year.

This comes as part of the major projects and programs of the Ministry for Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening (MPGIS). This makes up part of the recurrent budget allocation for 2019.

Explaining this before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Permanent Secretary, Stanley Pirione said they have originally submitted a total of $13million, but stressfully shared that it was unfortunately reduced, with a cut of $2.1million.

The approved figure is however said to be insufficient for the Ministry to fully execute its election programs for the provinces whose terms lapse next year plus other election related activities.

Pirione said the reductions will likely affect some of the Ministry’s preparation programs for the Provincial Elections.

“Provincial elections will be held next year but this excludes Western and Choiseul Provinces, which have already held their election in the middle of this year. We hope that the list in which the SI Electoral Commission is working on, if finalised, should give us time to carry out elections for our provinces except for Western and Choiseul”, Pirione said.

When questioned on the expected timeframe for elections to take place, Pirione explained that discussions are currently underway between the Ministry and the Office of the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission.

He noted that the Ministry has considered options to allow for the national elections to go ahead first and the formation of a government before the provincial elections are carried out.

“And because of this intention, the Ministry is looking at June of 2019 to hold provincial elections. Except for the Western and Choiseul Provinces, as they have already held their elections in the middle of this year,” Pirione adds.

Not all seven provinces are expected to hold their elections within the same period. Makira Ulawa Province, has a late dissolution to its Assembly around September and October of 2019.

Meanwhile, the Ministry is seeking legal advice on the possibility for them to do carry out the provincial elections around the same time towards the end of the year.

OFFICERS of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) Sexual Assault Team have arrested and charged a 16-year-old male for rape following an incident which happened at Komabulu Village on West Guadalcanal in November 2017.

Officer-Incharge of the Sexual Assault Team at the Rove Police Headquarters in Honiara Sergeant Rose Nala explains: “It is alleged that on a date in November 2017, a 13-year-old girl went home after school. At home, she was advised by her father to go after her mother who had gone fishing at the sea side of Komabulu village, West Guadalcanal.

Along the way, the victim met up with the suspect who grabbed her to a nearby bush and allegedly raped her

“The case was only reported to the Sexual Assault Team in June 2018 after the victim’s mother discovered her 13-year-old girl was pregnant. Our team then started the Investigation into the matter until yesterday (20 November 2018) when the suspect was arrested in the Kohimarama area on West Guadalcanal. The suspect has been charged for one count of rape,” says Sergeant Nala.

A remand application is being prepared for the suspect to be remanded while investigations into the matter continue.

“I wish to thank members of the public and members of my team for their cooperation and assistance leading to the successful arrest of the suspect,” says Sergeant Nala.

Assistant Commissioner of Police, National Operation, Mostyn Mangau says, “Sexual offences in the country are unfortunately increasing. I want to urge all community leaders, chiefs, women and church leaders, and parents to make sure our women and girls are protected at all times. We must work together to make sure that our country is safe so our women and girls can move freely without being harassed.”

Members of the public are encouraged to report any sexual offences by calling the RSIPF toll free line 999 or Seif Ples on the free toll line 132

–RSIPF MEDIA

BY GARY HATIGEVA

PERMANENT Secretary in the Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening (MPGIS), Stanley Pirione said a Commission will look after the functions of the revenue sharing scheme between the National Government and Provincial Government.

Before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday, PS Pirione said the Commission will look after the functions of the scheme.

He said under the Commission, there will be Committees set up to carry out the important programs to determine and understand the criteria, which will then be used to pay out grants.

Pirione said the said approach will not change the current structure to look after packages of those working in essential government service delivery program. Those working in the essential service includes nurses, teachers and doctors.

He said their welfare and packages will remain under the Central Government and added that the approach will not take away funds from any other parts of the budget, but just a matter of rearranging, so more focus goes down to the provinces.

He also pointed out that there is an advantage to introduce the legal framework of the sharing scheme arrangement. He said findings have shown that they will not need to go through an overhaul on any shadow legislations. He said this is because provisions are already catered for under the Public Financial Management Act, especially on the establishment of special funds.

“All that would have to be done is to put in a small bill, which is expected to give mandate to the commission and with the taskforce to do changes, depending on studies that they will be carried out.

“Sometimes we might disagree with some of the criteria due to performances or populations, or even the percentages that are pinned to them, they are subjected to change, and coming back to the steps in which the Ministry is taking now, we will always go back and carry out consultations.

“In fact, this one is a dream of all the provinces, which they have already endorsed, and the cabinet has also endorsed it, but nothing stops us from going back to hold wider consultations, the PS added.

He further added that Provinces that have small revenues will not be affected as it is something that is taken from the government consolidated funds to be shared amongst them.

He said therefore some of the provinces, which might not have resources to put on board, can still have shares in this revenue arrangement.

“We thought it will address all the issues that the draft federal constitution is trying to address, with issues in terms of capacity, level of governance, how resources can be shared, and how we can decentralise some of the functions, channelling them right down to the provinces.

This approach is highly welcomed by Members of the Committee. They say this is an important initiative. They have also agreed that it is an answer to the ever growing pressure on the sharing of resources to the provinces.