MEMBERS of Parliament will get their Constituencies’ final pay cheques from Taiwan next week.
Insiders told Island Sun Taipei will dole out $10million as the final tranche for the 2018 financial year. Each Constituency would get $300,000.
The funds are part of Taiwan’s annual $100 million-plus budgetary support that the Solomon Islands Government receives from Taipei. Its primary purpose is to help create micro-economic activities in rural Solomon Islands.
Taiwan also operates a ‘slush’ fund which is separate from budgetary support.
The “slush” fund is administered by Taiwan’s Embassy in Honiara and is given out largely to Government politicians just before the Christmas break each year.
Taiwan’s budgetary funding assistance has attracted criticisms over the years, including accusations that the funding is the hotbed for corruption in politics.
According to this school of thought, Taiwan has not put in place mechanisms that would discourage the rampant misuse of its funding.
There are strong suggestions that many MPs used Taiwan’s funding to invest in real estate, particularly in building for themselves high covenant houses in Honiara and other urban centres.
Efforts by Taiwan that all funding is acquitted before the next tranche is released have often been met with open ridicule.
The demand for acquittals had led to delays in disbursing funds to MPs
Calls by ordinary citizens for equality, transparency and accountability in disbursing the funds have fallen on deaf ears.
A snapshot of IRD’s new web based portal for the e-tax system.
Established with hopes to help increase transparency and reduces the risks for fraud
By Gary Hatigeva
THE Solomon Islands Inland Revenue Department (IRD) is set to take its operations into newer heights within the fast passed electronic world.
This follows the launching of Inland Revenue’s new web based portal that was launched on Wednesday this week, which was launched with anticipations for to help IRD in its operational activities, which will allow businesses in Solomon Islands to file their tax returns electronically.
This important development will ultimately transform the entire IRD tax platforms to digital, providing for easy and efficient e-filing and e-payments.
Officials explained to Island Sun that the E-Tax is an electronic platform which allows one to manage his or her taxes online, and with this service people will be able to view their account information, file their returns, view their statements, and view overdue and upcoming return and payments.
It will also allow for people to make direct enquiries, without having to leave their business.
A description in the portal outlined that these services can be provided to people at home, office or where ever they may be at any time that suits them with just the click of a button.
In a statement on the launched portal, IRD explained that Businesses must register for an IRD online account and use their allocated IDs to electronically file Goods Tax, Sales Tax and PAYE.
The upgraded system also has a number of e-payments options that includes internet banking and EFTPOS for businesses to pay their tax obligations.
IRD says the division is also looking into the possibility of extending digital payments to mobile and app-based services in future.
A snapshot of IRD’s new web based portal for the e-tax system.
Meanwhile, IRD Commissioner Joseph Dokekana highlighted that for well over a decade the IRD has been on a progressive path to modernization, and this next step is without a doubt the most exciting in the journey so far.
The IRD Commissioner stressed that in today’s world, to be modern means one has to go digital, and the digitisation of IRD’s services will bring immense value to the country in terms of improving domestic resource mobilisation, better tax compliance and ease of tax payments for our customers.
He however revealed that more services will soon be available such as income tax and withholding tax, which the IRD believes will lead to a reduction in compliance costs for a large number of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s) as well as large corporates, besides individuals.
The modernization process according to IRD, was funded through a grant and technical support provided by the United Nation’s Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme (PFIP), whose Technical Specialist Abigail Chang, explained that digitization increases efficiency, transparency and reduces the risk for fraud.
“It can also help to achieve a higher rate of tax compliance, meets broader national financial inclusion objectives besides contributing to achieving a number of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals,” she added.
In the coming months, IRD, in partnership with PFIP will conduct a series of customer education seminars, workshops, including site visits to assist tax payers in sign up, usage and adopt of the new digital interface.
The Department also announced that these new services are the first of two phases in the Ministry’s goal to modernise the Solomon Islands taxation system.
The project has received financial support from the Governments of Australia and New Zealand.
THE Undersea Submarine Cable is on target for connection and commissioning next year.
This is one of the key economic infrastructure the Rick Houenipwela-led government is facilitating to provide a conducive business environment in the country.
Speaking at the 10th Australia Solomon Islands Business Forum in Brisbane on Wednesday, Prime Minister Houenipwela said the cable will transform and revolutionise communication capability in Solomon Islands.
“The cable will also have a domestic component with links to Auki, Noro and Taro.
He noted that both the Tina Hydro and the Cable projects are ‘game changers’.
“Both will translate to more efficient and cheaper cost of doing business in the country as currently, communication and energy costs in Solomon Islands are amongst the highest in the region, and most possibly in the world.
PM Houenipwela added the government is pursuing other important reform policies and major projects that are geared towards creating a vibrant economy.
“These include tax reform, reviving of Development Bank of Solomon Island and upgrading of Munda to become our second international airport.”
He reiterated that trade also runs on roads.
“And in partnership with Japan, we are developing a four lane road in Honiara from White River to Henderson International Airport. Work on portions of the city road should be completed by the end of the year.
He said the newly developed four lane road will give a facelift to the city and encourage more tourists to visit Solomon Islands.
LORD Howe islands are suffering from lack of shipping service, it is reported.
This has been blamed for the corresponding lack of development and incomplete developments in the atoll communities.
During a recent visit by Island Sun, people are complaining why they are yet to have a ship of their own while the rest of the provinces and constituencies are enjoying their own.
In an interview with Chief Kalali of Lord Howe, he voiced that shipping services is a popular mode of transport used to carry people’s needs and wants for living and also to connect people from island to island.
Kalali said for a long time the atolls have not been served with a regular shipping service, hence their troubles.
“Whilst most neighbouring islands and provinces have these services shaped from time to time while they have this matter unconsidered,” Kalali said.
He adds if this particular need is addressed it will lessen all the internal issues in terms of incomplete developments and difficulties they are currently facing.
Kalali said this is because they depend entirely on these transportation systems on both sea and air to meet their daily needs and wants.
It is understood that at the moment they use other province’s shipping services after every four months. In terms of air transport services they don’t have any properly built airstrip to accommodate planes.
Voters registration for the 2019 NGE now on process in Honiara and the country as a whole.
A Member of Parliament reportedly interferes with registration process
BY LYNTON AARON FILIA
A current Member of Parliament (MP) is said to have interfered with the registration process underway in Town Ground.
Reports reaching Island Sun say the Registration Clerk for Northwest, West, South and Central Guadalcanal has been asked to leave his work by the said MP.
The electoral officer said it is not the first time that he had received a letter telling him that he had been removed from his job.
He said the first encounter was a complaint letter from the people for his replacement and the second letter was from the MP telling him that he had been removed from his job as Registration clerk.
“Honorable say he did not want me to sit there which to me it is a political move.”
The officer said according to the electoral act, such action is forbidden – for a political member to interfere in the electoral process.
“I want to call on people, supporters we are just doing a registration process, anyone wants to do transfer or whatever, it is during the objection period after completing registration processes.”
He explained that it is okay if people want to switch constituency and that people have the right to register.
He said the right time for objection of any voters that do not reside in the area or constituency is during the omission and objection period.
“I for one, I am not happy about what happen, and he should not interfere with my work. I only working for my salary,” he said.
He also adds that all they do was to treat everyone fairly and made sure that they carry out their work properly.
“Another thing, we just registering names, anyone supporter belongs to any candidates or current MP, it is not right time for complaining about the work of the registration officers.
“So far, only people from Malaita and Guadalcanal province are doing such complaining, but they did not understand our roles, that we were here to do the registration for people.
“We are not favouring any constituency but security control when it’s time; we have to stop for the next day.”
With the report from the Registration Clerk, Island Sun contacted Solomon Islands Electoral Commission to find out if there had been any report of such occurrence.
Despite enquiring twice to SIEC, there was no response from the officers and SIEC Chief Executive Officer.
However Island Sun understands that there are processes whereby such an incident can be reported to the relevant authorities.
The registration meddling has reportedly affect electorates from Northwest, West, South and Central Guadalcanal constituency.
On Wednesday, September 12, people from Guadalcanal province raised their frustration over non-service of registration officers.
It was not until afternoon that their booth was opened for registration.
Papua New Guinea’s Siegfried Beschel celebrates scoring the opening goal against Vanuatu on Wednesday.
BY ROMULUS HUTA
Papua New Guinea’s Siegfried Beschel celebrates scoring the opening goal against Vanuatu on Wednesday.
PAPUA New Guinea has made a strong comeback following Sunday’s opening loss and cruised to a resounding 5-0 victory over Vanuatu in their second Pool A match of the OFC Under-16 Championship yesterday morning at Lawson Tama Stadium.
In their opening match on Sunday against the tournament host, they went down by the same margin. The win yesterday cancelled out all goals conceded earlier and this appeared to have relived their qualification hopes for the semi-final.
Siegfried Beschel gets a double to his name while the other three goals were shared between Renagi Ila, Akaya Wadunah and Morris Devi.
Knowing that a win in this match would relive their pool contention, PNG made a superb start in the first half by getting an early goal through Beschel in the first seven minutes.
The scoreline increased to 2-0 by the 19th minute through Renagi Ila.
Vanuatu improved defending and kept out more threats posed by the PNG forwards and the score remains at 2-0 by halftime recess.
The second half resumed and Devi added his team’s third goal in the 56th minute before Wadunah made it 4-0 with an outstanding strike in the 70th minute.
Beschel completed scoring to make it 5-0 by the 79th minute when he unleashed a screaming shot from a point blank range which came bulging the roof of the net and caught the Vanuatu goalkeeper gasping thin air in the process.
PNG Coach Anthony Pakatota said they went in to win the second match and that paid off.
“We came here to win this game after fixing the errors we have in the first game.
“We wanted really badly to win this game and we have got the result to give us a fighting chance in our last game on Saturday.
“The starting 11 is the same starting 11 from the first game and one of the big things we have worked on is to get the players’ confidence back.
“We had to work on really getting their self-confidence out and getting them to improve their quick recovery in defending and forward playing and we also worked on our decision making interms of passing, final passes and to finishing.
“Yeah for sure we are looking forward to that game. We’ve done a lot of homework for the game against New Zealand and we’re looking forward. So this game is a must-win to give us the fighting chance so we’re looking forward for that,” Pakatota said.
PNG’s final pool match is against New Zealand and a win for them will see them through to the semifinal.
“They are fast attacking team and we’ll prepare well for them. We know they are good at counter and it depends on intelligence to beat them.”
The winless streak in this competition came as a great disappointment for the Joel Rarua-coached side that still have a match to spare which is against the host nation this Saturday.
The two losses mean that Vanuatu is not out of contention for a place in the semi-final with the only possible thing left is playing for pride in the final match.
Rarua said: “We worked hard today but unfortunately PNG were stronger with quick counters and our boys were bit slower otherwise our boys did their best with ball possession and attacking.
“We are here for the competition and the boys will be ready for the last game.”
PNG’s final game is on Saturday against New Zealand while Vanuatu will play Solomon Islands in the later fixture of the day.
NEW Zealand coach Jose Figueira expresses huge disappointment following his side’s 5-0 loss against Solomon Islands on Wednesday
NEW Zealand coach Jose Figueira
but has strongly vowed to bounce back in their final Group A match.
The young All Whites will play PNG in their final group match of the OFC Under-16 Championship this Saturday.
Figueria said: “Obviously, I’m disappointed with the result. It’s a little bit unfortunate that the score got a little bit big towards the end.
“Huge congratulations to the Solomons for sending their best team today, they deserved the win. For our boys at this stage, is a completely different experience you know, playing against players and teams and a style of football that they’ve never come across.”
Figueira admitted that the big loss is good learning experience for his boys.
“I think we’ll take a big learning lesson from today.
“Putting things into perspective, it’s not the end of the world and we’ll look to obviously bounce back which I’m sure we will do in the third game to qualify out of the group.
“Of course, we are looking forward to the game against PNG when you have a result like this, you’d wanna play that match tomorrow.
“There’ll be a few sad faces today, but look once we review the game, recover, we’ll be back on top and ready to go for the third game. And again the lesson from today is to take nothing for granted, believe what we believe in, and just have a little bit more concentration in quality and some more key moments.
“As a coach you take responsibility. So I take responsibility for the result today.
“The boys ran till the end and worked their socks off and like you see a few of them kind of fell over with emotions and things.
“But look, that’s football, you have these lessons, you have to bounce back and we’ll come back stronger in the third game,” he expressed.
New Zealand’s match against PNG is scheduled for 10am on Saturday with both sides having equal opportunities to qualify into the semifinal as they are tied on three points each.
THE MV Gizo NO 1 ship is being detained at Taro wharf by the Choiseul provincial government for illegal beach trading around Choiseul province.
The incident occurred at Vurango Village in North Choiseul on Monday afternoon.
John Matapaza, the Minister of Lauru Affairs, when contacted yesterday, said the MV Gizo including three Asian nationals believed to be from China with few Solomon Islanders employed as captain, engineers and ship’s crew has been detained at Taro, Choiseul province’s capital, after community and business owners at Vurango reported that the ship was doing beach trading at their village at low prices.
“Provincial officer was sent to vurango and escorted the ship back to Taro detained the ship for further investigation at Taro.
“The authority met and enforced his penalty for violating the business ordinance for illegal trading in to Choiseul Province without a valid beach trading business license,” said Matapaza.
Meanwhile, members of public have lauded their provincial government for the tough stand against such illegal practices.
PM Hou addressing the Business Forum which was attended by priavte sectors and govt officials from Australia and Solomon Islands
PRIME Minister Rick Houenipwela has addressed the 10th Australia Solomon Islands Business Forum in Brisbane yesterday.
Prime Minister Hou said the events of the forum are a culmination of a long partnership between the Australia Pacific Islands Business Council (APIBC) and the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI).
“It is my fervent hope that the achievements of last year’s Forum be elevated to new heights as I am certain that for us there is no other way but up,” he said.
The Prime Minister said it is also exciting to note this event also brings together senior corporate and government decision makers from both Australia and Solomon Islands who are in the pursuit of one common goal; and that is the enhancement of economic environment to allow economic growth to thrive in Solomon Islands.
He said the Solomon Islands Democratic Coalition for Change Government (SIDCCG) appreciates and affirms that the private sector has always been the driving force for economic growth in the Solomon Islands and will continue to do so.
As such, he said it his Government’s intention to continue to encourage and support private sector engagement and participation in key economic areas in development of Solomon Islands.
“As some of you may know, Solomon Islands has and is enjoying a steadily growing economy over the last few years and more recently offers solid opportunities for business in areas such as infrastructure services, tourism development, sustainable forestry, agri-industry and fisheries,” he said.
Hou said the Government recognises that for the private sector to operate effectively, it needs a good enabling business environment.
“An environment that allows businesses to operate competitively, grow and prosper, an environment where investors and businesses are confident to do business. This includes employment opportunities,” he said.
The theme of this year’s business forum is “Forty years of Australian Solomon Islands Business Partnership”.
Prime Minister Hou was invited as the guest of honour at the event.
Australia’s acting High Commissioner responds to the Minister of Energy and Mines, the Hon Bradley Tovosia’s
request for a further USD1m to support the access road to the Tina River Hydro Power site. Photo from AHC Media
Australia’s acting High Commissioner responds to the Minister of Energy and Mines, the Hon Bradley Tovosia’s request for a further USD1m to support the access road to the Tina River Hydro Power site. Photo from AHC Media
THE Tina River Hydro Power project is a high priority project for Solomon Islands and for the Pacific.
The Australian Government is a strong supporter of the project which has the potential to transform the Solomon Islands business environment by reducing electricity prices, which are among the most expensive in the world.
It will also be the first ever public-private partnership scheme for the Solomon Islands Government, and its success will be a tangible demonstration that Solomon Islands is a viable destination for international investment.
Australia is pleased to commit a further AUD1.4 million (USD 1 million) to the Tina River Hydro Power project to meet a funding gap identified for the construction of the access road to the dam site and power station – a key component of the project supported by Australia.
Australia appreciates the strong leadership of the Solomon Islands Government, and is looking forward to the signing of the key project agreements on November 30, particularly the Power Purchase Agreement that will set the electricity tariff for the next 30 years.
This will be a significant step in moving the project from the preparation to implementation phase.
Australia had already contributed AUD10.4 million for the preparation phase, and with this additional commitment, it will now provide up to AUD18.4 million for the implementation phase, taking Australia’s total contribution to AUD28.8 million.
