POLICE at Henderson in Guadalcanal province are investigating a fatal accident which occurred close to Suva road in North Guadalcanal on November 2, 2018.
Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Guadalcanal Province, Chief Superintendent Evelyn Thugea says “At least three people have been confirmed death in relation to the fatal accident last Friday while five other people who sustained injuries are still admitted at the National Referral Hospital (NRH) in Honiara.
“Two of the dead died instantly at the scene during the accident and the other who was in a critical condition later died at the NRH on November 3, 2018.
“The accident involved a vehicle owned by the Hatanga Company with a load of timber traveling to Honiara.
“It is alleged that the driver of the vehicle tried to avoid a pot hole by traveling into the opposite lane of the road and swung the vehicle to its right lane.
“Due to the heavy load of timber and a Lucas Mill on the back trailer the vehicle overturned and caused the accident.
“It is a sad incident and it should be a reminder to our drivers, vehicle owners and passengers.
“Drivers must be careful and take extra precaution and consider that the lives of the passengers travelling on your vehicle are in your hands. Do not overload your vehicle.
“To vehicle owners, make sure your vehicles are road worthy and that your drivers have a valid driver’s licence.
“Passengers, tell the driver to slow down if they are driving too fast and tell the driver if you think the vehicle is overloaded.
“Our safety while travelling in vehicles is our shared responsibility.
“I would like to sincerely acknowledge the support from our communities and stakeholders who assisted the victims and securing properties during the time of the fatal accident.
“I appeal to members of the public who may have witnessed the incident to come forward with information and assist police with the investigation.
“Our sympathies and condolences to the family members of the deceased who died during the accident.”
PARLIAMENT has on Monday, blessed the expenditure records of the government, giving an ok to the records of the money that were used under the 2017 Supplementary Appropriation.
Presented as the 2017 Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2018, it went through all procedures of the House and was thoroughly scrutinised by the Committee of the Whole House on the usage of funds under two Supplementary Appropriation Bills (SAB) that were brought to parliament by the same government, but under two Prime Ministers and two finance heads, only with a few adjustments in policies.
First, Parliament appropriated a supplementary appropriation of $435,409,870 to be applicable for the service of the year ending 2017.
Later last year, another SA Bill was brought in, which was also approved, seeking an additional $43,906,376 under the now Solomon Islands Democratic Coalition for Change Government (SIDCCG), to the service of the year ending December 31, 2017.
The first 2017 SAB consisted of the 2017 recurrent and development contingency warrants that totalled up to $6,920,000 and recurrent and development advance warrants of up to $20,886,945, with a total variation of $127,345,938.
As for the second SAB, it consisted of the recurrent and development contingency warrants that totalled up to $4,841,838 and recurrent and development advance warrants of up to $39,064,538.
These monies were used in the year ending December 31, 2017.
Under the first SAB, the Bill revealed that for Development Contingency warrants, the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development had asked and was issued a total of $200,000,000 while the Ministry of Infrastructure Development was issued a total of $106,000,000, most of which went towards their supplementary expenditures.
Also under the first SAB, a total of six ministries were issued with Contingency Warrants, and two ministries, namely the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration.
Meanwhile, under the second SAB, a total of seven ministries were issued with recurrent Advance Warrants and three Ministries namely, the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Meteorology, the National Judiciary and the National Parliament used a total of over $4.8 million for Development advance warrants.
Following the passage of the 2017 Supplementary Appropriation Act 2018, Parliament was adjourned to this morning.
MAKIRA Ulawa province is reported to be in dire need of quality health service for its people.
According to a general health status report for the province, it is facing a lot of serious health challenges, with 10 percent of health facilities closed due to poor conditions, human resources and community issues.
It also says that 85 percent of health facilities and staff houses are in deteriorated states.
Furthermore, 33 percent of rural health centres are operating without a registered nurse and 28 of the available facilities do not have radio communication devices.
The report says 11 of the 15 outboard motor canoes used for health services are no longer working. This is said to be a serious matter since majority of health centres rely on sea transport.
“Health facilities are without functioning water supply and sanitation and also minimum standard equipment. Manpower, nurses, microscopist and nutritionist.
“There is a great need for new staff houses and even repair of existing ones will be at a very high cost,” the report outlines.
Regarding water and sanitation, the report reveals that a staggering 40 percent of communities in Makira Ulawa province do not access safe drinking water, and 89 percent are without proper sanitation.
The report meanwhile says diseases responsible for most deaths in the province as recorded are non-communicable diseases (NCD), malaria, maternal, TB and accidents.
THE Western Provincial Assembly will convene their full assembly sitting next week at the Gizo Women Resource Centre.
Clerk to Assembly Kevin Q Paia confirmed to Island Sun that the 26-member house will convene at Gizo for a two-day assembly.
He said Premier David Gina in consultation with the Speaker have set aside Monday, November 12 as the commencement date for the first full Assembly meeting of the ninth Assembly of the Western province.
“All HODs, your attendance to this meeting is important as one of the matters to be deliberated on is the 2018/2019 Revised Appropriation Budget.
“Therefore, you are expected to be available to assist your Ministers.
“MPAs are advised to travel to Gizo and to arrive by Sunday, November 11, 2018,” said Paia.
NON-Communicable Diseases (NCD) has reportedly caused most deaths at Buala Hospital for the first stanza of this year, 2018.
According to a report obtained from Buala hospital, the data for NCDs was gathered from January to June this year.
In a graph ranking up to 20 – portraying the deaths recorded at the hospital, NCD-deaths is at 11 followed by maternal, cancers and pneumonia at two (2) and other diseases at one.
The report also went on to report on five demarcated zones Isabel province, Buala, Tatamba, Konide, Bolitei and Kia on the status of NCDs from each of them.
This is on the number of NCD cases admitted at the hospital (new and return cases) for this year as well.
The number of NCD cases portrayed in a graph ranking up to 700 and Buala zone with the highest NCD cases with 645 cases.
Followed by Kia zone with 263, Tatamba zone with 238, Bolitei zone with 177 and Konide zone with 125 cases respectively.
According to the data, NCDs has become the major threat for Isabel province’s general health status – something everyone must work together to address.
The disease burden for the hospital recorded
Recorded types of NCDs include, stroke, diabetes, hypertension, asthma, malnutrition, pneumonia (age from 5-yrs), cancers, heart disease, maternal deaths and anaemia.
The report did not say much on diseases like malaria, TB and others, which are said to be decreasing in Isabel province.
According to the report, Isabel Health Authority is doing the best they can in tackling the entire health related issues in the province, but resource was the biggest challenges face.
This article can be seen categorised for Isabel province for not balancing NCD status from other provinces, they have their reports, however, this paper only obtained report from Isabel province.
Minister of Commerce, Industry, Labour and
Immigration William Bradford Marau.
By Gary Hatigeva
Minister of Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration William Bradford Marau.
A local beche-de-mer company was responsible for opening up the pathway for what had started the influx of foreign nationals who came as investors, says the Minister for Commerce, Immigration, Labour and Industries.
Minister William Marau revealed this when questioned in Parliament on Monday, over what has been described as the concerning high influx of the increasing number Bangladeshis who are accused of coming into the country in the name of investment, only to venture into the businesses that are reserved for Solomon Islanders.
Leader of the Official Opposition Group and MP for East Malaita, Manasseh Maelanga had questioned why there was a sudden influx of Bangladesh nationals into Solomon Islands and how they are able to be given permission to operate businesses that are meant for locals only.
In his response, Mr Marau explained that it all started with these Bangladesh groups coming through a local company that is heavily involved in the Beche-de-mer business here.
After working a little while, they decided to start their own businesses, which the Minister clarified that no law actually stops them from doing so, but revealed that they themselves have taken matters into their own hands by expanding the scale of influx and business activities.
The Minister further explained that after starting up their own businesses, they started recruiting from their people, most of which were directly from Bangladesh, to work for their newly established businesses or companies.
Marau also clarified that the allowance of Bangladesh people was on the basis that were according to the Act, and that was for them to operate within a 200 square metre, which according to the minister, was straight forward.
But they went ahead to breach the provisions within the act that guides the said matter with the activities they are involved in and the type of operations they have as businesses.
He said the approved licences were according to the laws, with clear criteria and strict guides, and that is for them to operate with the Honiara City Business District (CBD), and again, within no less than 200 square metre of land or property, but added that the foreigners themselves have taken the initiative to operate outside of the said boundaries and different forms of businesses.
Marau agreed that the issue raised is of serious concern to the ministry and as result, the ministry together with the Honiara City Council and the Guadalcanal province have teamed up through the formation of committee that has since been looking into this issue thoroughly.
He said a good number of follow-ups from the committee was held in June and again last month, and this he said, had led to businesses owned and operated by these nationals being closed.
He then explained that the combined team is currently running a monitoring programme on all foreign national owned businesses throughout Honiara as part of the same exercise, to ensure that they are not doing what the other business that were closed, have been doing.
The matter has got many to speak out on an issue said to be within the scope of governments for years now, yet very little or no actions, have been done to deal with it.
Others interviewed after the Question and Answer Session shared that while it is a concern for parliament, the people of this country must also be warned and reminded, as these foreigners are taking advantage of our vulnerabilities and ignorance to strike deals with no balance.
Others say while it is good to have foreigners coming into the country with their creativities and innovations, the authorities should stop giving out the shop businesses status to them and start looking into getting investors for the production and industrial sectors.
“We need such investors to help boost our economy at the same time, create opportunities for employments, because currently, the way things are done, these foreigners would start of after coming in under a different company, and then start bringing in their own employees, who’d be extending the cycle.”
There was also the suggestion for the country through any future government, to look into putting entry requirements for investors or interested businesses, based on figures in terms of money, and this would attract only the genuine investors.
But in his summary statement before ending the Question and Answer Session on this issue, Maelanga stressed that the country needs to look properly into the types of businesses that are there for foreign nationals and which for the locals, with strict measures to protect these avenues.
He said the country also needs to get this issue sorted, whether in this house or the new one, in order to get the right investors into the country, with a thorough assessment on those intending to invest in the country is highly needed.
“Despite whatever the circumstances that our people are faced with, we still need to protect these fronts for them and our future Solomon Islands generations, and therefore, let us stop giving out the retail commercial status to any foreign investor,” the Opposition Leader shared.
Alwin Hou of Kooline tries to past the Marist player.
SIPA Futsal Challenge takes off with a bang
BY ROMULUS HUTA
Alwin Hou of Kooline tries to past the Marist player.
THE SIPA Futsal Challenge gets off with a bang yesterday at the Multipurpose Hall with the first round of matches.
Six matches were played across Groups A and B, beginning at 10am.
The opener yesterday got underway between Koloale and Vania from Pool A. Koloale were lucky to escape with a narrow 3-2 victory.
In the other Pool A matches, national league champions Marist received a massive 7-2 upset from Kooline while Mataks also defeated KOSSA with the same margin.
In Pool B, Indo-Solo thrashes Henderson Eels with a 9-1 margin and followed by Solympics registering a 7-5 victory over Gantimak while Real Kakamora came away with a 6-3 win against G-Camp.
As the table stands after day one, Kooline, Mataks and Koloale are currently leading Pool A with three points each from wins earned yesterday, respectively.
Indo-Solo, Real Kakamora and Solympics find themselves at the top of Pool B with three points each following their wins.
The futsal challenge is the second part of the 2018 SIPA national league which concluded in June and won by Marist.
Meanwhile, after the pool matches next week, the two top teams from each group will qualify into the semi-finals scheduled for next Thursday.
Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) Futsal Development Officer Jerry Sam was pleased with the good turnout of the first round of matches yesterday.
“Semi finals will be held on Thursday next week. Pool Matches will be this week and final ones will be on Monday next week.
After all pool matches next Monday, teams will have two rest days on Tuesday and Wednesday before the semifinals on Thursday.
“The losers final will be on Friday and the grandfinal on Saturday. After the grandfinal on Saturday is the awards presentation for both the SIPA League and the futsal challenge,” he said.
Jerry, who is also the national head coach for senior futsal side Kurukuru said he is also using the futsal challenge to select potential players for his training squad.
“This is one of the ideas behind this challenge. And that is to look for more potential players for our training squad.”
The futsal challenge will continue today with another six matches at Multipurpose Hall.
The national senior futsal side known as Kurukuru is the reigning OFC champions. (INSERT) Kurukuru head coach Jerry Sam.
Kurukuru coach to name training squad next Friday for 2019 OFC title defense campaign
BY ROMULUS HUTA
THE national futsal head coach Jerry Sam will name his training squad next week.
This is to prepare for the 2019 Oceania Futsal Championship, which will also serve as the qualifiers for the 2020 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Lithuania.
Solomon Islands, known as Kurukuru, is the current Oceania champion and next year’s tournament is an important one in their title-defense.
Jerry said the training squad will be made known by Friday next week.
“The training squad will be put out next Friday after the semifinals of the SIPA futsal challenge currently underway in Honiara.
“Training will officially start on November 19.
“The squad I’m working on at the moment would be a mixture of old and new players where probably one or two players would be selected from the youth team that went to play in the recent Youth Olympic Games in Argentina. These young players’ selection into the national team training squad does not guarantee they have a place in the final team. They have to prove themselves first.
“Next year will be very crucial for us and we have drawn up tight plans in the preparations for our title defense.
“We are looking forward to a tour to Asia to prepare for the 2019 OFC Futsal Championship where we are still working on its arrangements. That’s what our preparation would be like next year,” Jerry said.
Jerry added that some teams in Oceania have already kick-started their preparations.
“We are running a bit behind time, but looking ahead, I think we still enough time to prepare. Like for now, it’s about six months left to go. But I feel that six months of preparation is still good time for us.
“For Oceania level, six months would be enough for us. Like in 2016, we did not have much time to prepare our team for the qualifiers and we have to work very hard within a limited space of four months to try and get to the top.”
The head coach outlined that he is banking on their upcoming Asian tour to help boost their preparation.
“We need the Asian tour next year to happen.
“And after playing those upcoming friendlies, I believe it will give us more confidence and will come as a boost for the young players heading into the qualifiers,” he expressed.
Meanwhile, Jerry said their preparations for next year would be an intensive one and he wants all players to be at the top level of everything before heading into the qualifiers.
UNSUSTAINABLE and illegal logging continues to cause tensions between a logging company and vulnerable landowners in Temotu.
Much of the small island of Vanikoro, Santa Cruz, has been stripped bare of exportable trees by a logging company, owned by Solomon Islanders and Asians.
It was reported that in September 2018, the company successfully pressured the Ministry of Forestry to renew its felling licence.
This means the company now has the right to log the island’s last remaining areas of old growth forest.
The alleged company, Vanikoro Lumber Limited (VLL) licence to fell trees on Vanikoro, expired on July 20, 2018, following a contentious three-year period of unsustainable logging during which various clashes arose with local residents opposed to VLL’s operations.
Reports from the island over the years have shown that VLL’s rapacious logging in the area has brought with it a slew of problems to Vanikoro.
Vanikoro island
This includes increased prevalence of land disputes, complaints about sexual exploitation of local women by loggers, destruction of sacred taboo sites and a long list of lasting environmental impacts.
The environmental damage caused to the island includes the destruction of the island’s once unique ecosystem and the pollution of local water sources, to the point of rendering the once pristine rivers and streams of Vanikoro, unfit for human use.
Despite not possessing a valid logging licence in the period after July 20, 2018, it was alleged that VLL continued to fell and export logs from the island.
These activities are in clear contravention of key provisions of the Forest and Timber Resources Utilisation Act, legislation which is supposed to regulate all logging across the Solomon Islands.
In a further insult to the indigenous landowners of Vanikoro, environmental defender and group spokesman, Eddie Pae, said VLL and its subcontractors are now planning to extend logging operations to the island of Teanu, to the east of Vanikoro.
Teanu has never been logged and was not included in the approved concession area under the original (and unlawfully renewed) logging license granted to VLL.
“Notwithstanding that the island of Teanu contains a number of Tabu sites sacred to the people of Vanikoro, it is also a rare and significant hub of biodiversity,” Pae said.
Independent environmental assessments show that Teanu is home to a number of endangered floral and faunal species, including: a bat, only found on the island called the Vanikoro Flying Fox, the Pacific Kauri Pine, and other vulnerable endemic species including: the Red-bellied fruit dove, Pied goshawk, Vanikoro Monarch, Palm lorikeet, Rusty-winged starling and Polynesian starling.
In a harsh assessment by Mr. Pae, he said, if VLL is allowed to log Teanu, this would constitute a cultural and environmental catastrophe.
Vanikoro-island
Pae also noted that destruction of this habitat would deal a fatal blow to any potential future tourism opportunities on the island and would fly in the face of the Solomon Islands REDD+ Roadmap to name Vanikoro as a pilot site.
Pae and others like him continue to fight for the preservation of Teanu and other areas of Vanikoro which have not yet been logged by VLL.
Pae says that he and his supporters face constant bullying and underhanded tactics at the hands of the logging company, including attempts to circumvent the process of dealing with the recognised landowners of Vanikoro, as required under our legislation.
Pae has recently been served with an application by VLL to the High Court for a restraining order against him and others who have vocalised their opposition to logging in the area.
“The restraining order applied for by VLL states that I should not be allowed to return to my home because I am a threat to logging equipment and personnel in the area.
“Unlike those who log on Vanikoro, I do not engage in illegal activities. I, and others like me, are merely trying to protect our home for the enjoyment of future generations,” Pae said.
Pae will seek legal assistance to contest the restraining order and the renewal of VLL’s felling licence.
In April last year (2017) Pae also spoke to Radio New Zealand about their frustrations over logging in Vanikoro. Logging operations in Vanikoro was said to commence in 2013.
(LEFT TO RIGHT) Solomon Airlines Chairman, Austin Holmes, Chief Executive Officer, Brett Gebers and the Secretary of the Board, Bill Tyson
Solomon Airlines staff demand immediate removal of bosses
By Alfred Sasako
(LEFT TO RIGHT) Solomon Airlines Chairman, Austin Holmes, Chief Executive Officer, Brett Gebers and the Secretary of the Board, Bill Tyson
SOLOMON Airlines staff are demanding the immediate removal of their Chairman, Austin Holmes, Chief Executive Officer, Brett Gebers and the Secretary of the Board, Bill Tyson, before the national carrier breaks down.
“Solomon Airlines staff want immediate termination of his employment as CEO of Solomon Airlines before the company breaks down,” the staff said in a confidential assessment report.
Island Sun has obtained a copy of the report.
“Since he Joined Solomon Airlines in early April 2017, he is busy employing his con friends as Consultants including his (own) son William Gebers as an IT Consultant based in Brisbane. These Consultants … are Contracted fly in/out doing nothing and so far no good results have been achieved for Solomon Airlines,” the report said.
The report named the consultants as Richard Holstein, Josef Loew, Mike Arbuckle and William Gebers.
The report also named former JETCO staff that Capt Gebers had engaged at Solomon Airlines’ Brisbane Office. They are Arlene Bennett, Jennifer Sipple, Julie Stimson and Julieann Fagan.
“He (Capt Gebers) is a liability to the company and needs to be removed immediately. He (Gebers) has no future plans for the advancement of the national airline. Only the poor National staff are working their guts out to keep the national carrier flying,” the staff said in the report.
The report said with just one large aircraft servicing Australia, the Brisbane Office is over-staffed with people who had no airline background.
“As a result of this, one of our dedicated PNG airport manager, Mr James Chan, had resigned. Solomon Airlines is Solomon-owned Airlines and should be providing employment to Solomon Islanders, not his son (William Gerbers) and his con man. He is also interfering with the Airline AMADEUS REHRESH Training Programme where he nominated his son (William Gebers) and other new staff just employed at Solomon Airlines Brisbane Office who have no Airlines experience to attend this training whereas it should be the National Staff (Solomon Islanders) who have the experience are the ones who should be given priority to attend these refresher courses but they have not been nominated for the training,” they said.
“Bill Tyson is one of his right hand man and advisor for Brett. They have been running Solomon Airlines like they owned it. They can do anything they want. Bill is a liability for Solomon Airlines, he has done or contribute nothing to Solomon Airlines. Solomon Airlines does not need Bill Tyson. Need to be terminated as well,” the report said.
“Solomon Airlines Board of Director Chairman Austin Holmes has failed to move Solomon Airlines forward. He has contributed nothing because he has no good idea about airlines industry operations, his only business is logging Solomon Islands.
“He should not be appointed in the first place,” the report said.
The report said Mr Austin’s tenure was due to expire two months ago. He should never be reappointed, the report said
“All Solomon Airlines Staff are calling on the Chairman of the Investment Corporation of Solomon Islands (ICSI) to immediately terminate the CEO/Brett Gebers and Bill Tyson. There are many Educated and qualified Solomon Islanders in the market place who are capable of replacing these Gentlemen,” the report said.
