BY LYNTON AARON FILIA

THE Markets for Change (M4C) project under the UN Women will hold a Market Business Fair at the Auki market this week to bring financial, agricultural and social service providers.

The focus is to share information, raise awareness and deliver services that typically do not reach market vendors and producers.

The Financial seminar and fair will take place at the Auki market from today (September 12—13) basically targeting rural and urban market vendors and service providers              at Auki, Malaita province.

It is reported that about 75 to 95 percent of market vendors are women, and majority lack progressive business skills, timely information and access to financial services needed to strengthen their business and attain economic security.

Market vendors, especially rural producers and part-time vendors, come to the market only once or twice a week and rarely get appropriate and user-friendly information on financial services.

The high cost of physical access to the services is another barrier.

With that, the seminar aims to improve lives of women market vendors through better financial and business competencies.

It also aims to increase access by women market vendors to financial services such as credit, micro-insurance and livelihood protection.

Moreover to improve market venders’ business and leadership skills, increase production and incomes for producers, market venders and the vulnerable, and Improve knowledge management and production of knowledge products.

With that, the M4C through UN Women encourages market venders in Auki to access the services and information sessions provided at the market.

M4C is a UN Women project, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) implements the project’s second outcome.

They principally funded by the Australian Government, and since 2018 the project partnership has expanded to include funding support from the Government of Canada.

It is a six-year, multi-country initiative aims to ensure marketplaces in rural and urban settings of Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu are safe, inclusive and non-discriminatory.

Additionally, to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.

UNDP is a key implementing partner.

TRANSPARENCY Solomon Islands continues to carry out civic advocacy, advocating for good governance and good leadership ahead of the National General Election by using the Constituency Development Fund as an entry point to addressing unrealized developments, and service delivery in Lord Howe, Malaita Outer Islands Constituency in Malaita province.

TSI was invited to conduct awareness at Luaniua and Pelau.

Participants have expressed that the awareness was very informative, is easily understood, relevant and timely.

The awareness aims to educate voters and the following important issues formed part of TSI’s civic awareness.

The role of MPs, our power as citizens pursuant to the provisions of our supreme law the Constitution, the importance of realising this power and exercising the same during elections, the value of citizens vote, importance of choosing good leaders, keeping leaders accountable, and saying no to vote buying.

Understanding these responsibilities is vital to make informed decisions as voters prepare to vote for their next Member of Parliament in April 2019.

“The rural people have been the ones who have had a lot of questions on CDF formerly known as RCDF.

“The ignorance of many rural people led them to believe that everything the MPs and CDOs say were true.

“Many of us constituents within Lord Howe did not taste and feel the Constituency Development Fund (CDF),” villagers said.

“What we see and understand is that only those closer to the MP, some relatives, voters and the CDO are benefitting from the CDF meant for all constituents.”

Malaita Outer Islands [MOI] constituent said, “It was a blessing to have TSI coming to our doorsteps to explain everything clearly to us to understand.

“Now we will not be blinded by any lies, and know that our responsibilities continues after we cast our vote come Election Day.”

At MOI many have expressed their frustration when they realise that all constituents are equally entitled to benefit from the CDF; that all constituents are potential recipients and the CDF is in place to develop the constituency and improve people’s livelihood, without discrimination. That the norm of using the CDF to assist MPs supporters and voters and family members only is not right.

This awareness is to increase citizen’s access to information on Constituency Development Fund.

TSI believes that informed citizens will be empowered to act and exercise their rights.

During the awareness TSI disseminate information on CDF to over 200 constituents concerning what is CDF, Why CDF governance is an issue, the annual CDF budget of previous years and what citizens can do to make CDF effective in their communities.

The presentation also emphasised the importance of eligible voters to get them registered.

–TSI PRESS

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

AUKI

ALARM is being raised on the increasing influx of foreigners into the country who lack any means of language communication with locals.

A villager from Waisisi in West Are Are said at the moment the issue is experienced in certain parts of Malaita province where businesses like logging are operating in.

The person who wished anonymity due to closeness to the licensees, said the logging operation at Wasisi continue to face the issue.

He said over time Waisisi is filled with foreigners who speak neither English nor a little Pidgin.

The person said this is a real problem and it faced with lot of issues working with locals or even expats.

He said recently a local (excavator crew) nearly lost his life due to poor communication from his operator (Asian) when doing log skidding or pulling off logs to log yard ready for hauling.

The person said the issue was that the local’s operator can’t speak English or even pidgin that gave the local hard time to communicate with him.

He said there were other situations can also count where they’re very danger to claim life especially with the operation of logging.

The person said most of the jobs under logging operations were perilous and one thing can keep workers safe is proper communication with each other.

He said this issue continue to raise eyebrows for people live in places logging is operating and it will become worse if responsible authorities fail to do something about it.

The person stressed that sometimes people faced with the issues, but they silent about it because they knew nothing about it.

He added that the issues is not only common for logging as it also experienced with Asian people who own shops in Auki and everywhere in the country.

Adding that there is also a breakdown on communication where it sometimes impacted on the customer service.

The person said this is a real issue and Immigration must seriously monitor the issue to ensure people coming into the country under business purposes to be good in communication.

BY GEORGE MANFORD

AUKI

A concerned Malaita man has called on the government to ensure that tight security is provided for Malaita during next year’s general elections.

Catechist Anthony Mamali said, “This is very important that in Malaita during the past few years we have experienced and came across some unlawful behaviors during the election and counting period.

“The upcoming national general election as I for one is a very crucial election where most constituencies in Malaita and the country at large need change especially for a better future for the country.

Mamali added during the 2014 national general election a brawl happened at one of the counting venues in Auki where supporters from the other candidates almost clashed by shouting abusive words to each other.

“Those kind of practices must avoided because we need clean voting must be seen during the election period.

“I call on the Auki police or the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) to get prepared for this important activity that will take place early next year 2019 throughout our country Solomon Islands.”

Mamali also calls on all Malaitans to vote wisely.

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

AUKI

THE proposed pineapple project for Bonale in West Kwaio is progressing, reported to be ‘only steps away from its implementation phase’.

Senior staff under Labour and Commerce office in Auki, Mr Donation Maneotoa said yesterday that now they are going into the ‘land use planning’ of the project.

He said anytime soon, this week or next week, a delegation consisting of the contractor and technical people will go to the site to conduct the land use planning phase of the project.

Maneotoa said the phase includes planning of the site which will give a clear picture to what the project will be like in its actual implementation.

He added that there are other related technical works required to be done during the phase.

Maneotoa said after that they will conduct the full technology study phase of the project as they move on with the project.

He said these two phases are very important at this stage as it will enable them to come up with the master plan that will include cost and other areas needed for the implementation of the project.

Maneotoa said their plan was to complete these phases by the end of this year and start the implementation of the project by next year.

He mentioned that they are progressing with the work and if nothing holds they back they’ll right on their schedule plan.

Maneotoa said as yet no destructive feedbacks received from landlords of Bonale registered land where the project to establish.

He said that portrays people still intact on the agreement signed with government for the project.

The proposed pineapple project was to establish pineapple factory to process pineapple locally for international markets.