SOME 60 Solomon Islands students, sponsored by the government have had their University of the South Pacific (USP) scholarships terminated or suspended because funding for their awards has run out.
But the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD) kept the students in the dark about this until the USP Honiara Campus had terminated students’ accounts, denying them access to facilities such as the internet, one student told Island Sun on the weekend.
“Each time we asked about what was going on, the usual excuse was the National Training Committee (NTC) was yet to meet on our awards. This went on for more than a month, before the National Training Unit (NTU) Director gave us the bombshell, the student said.
“All this time MEHRD has been told by the Ministry of Finance and Treasury to cut back on the scholarship awards because funds have run out,” the student said.
The student said the Ministry only told them about the problem when they inquired about why the USP Solomon Islands Campus had de-registered their school accounts.
“They told us that half the 60 students have had their scholarships terminated on account of failing their courses. The other half were given suspension letters but were told to appeal.
“The majority of us have succeeded in our appeals but instead of reinstating all of us, only one student was reinstated. We don’t know why. It is quite possible this was due to the wantok system,” the student.
“In fact the Director of the National Training Unit (NTU) told us we had a choice to remain in Honiara or to go home. There is no money to continue your award. There will be money in next year’s Budget for your awards,” the students were told.
The student said she was one of those who had chosen to return home as there was nothing to do in Honiara.
“Sometimes one wonders whether the Ministry has done its sums before making scholarship awards,” the student said.
MALAITA province currently has the highest number of logging companies working in it, it is reported.
And, it is projected that the number of logging companies in Malaita will increase in the years to come.
Chief Forestry Officer of Malaita province, Mr Francis Kiriau in a recent interview said there are 20 active logging licences in Malaita province.
He adds that there are more licences in queue to be approved for operation in Malaita.
Kiriau said that in the coming months, Malaita will see more logging companies operating in the province as these pending licences get approved.
He said according to their record, the southern region of Malaita hosts most of the logging operations.
Kiriau said there were about two logging operations in the area of West Kwara’ae and West Fataleka and about one in East Malaita.
He said the areas with more logging activities started from West Kwaio toward Are Are (both East and West) and Small Malaita.
Kiriau said all the operations are Asian owned contractors and locally own licensees who incorporated the activities.
He said all these logging operations are on primary forests where natural forests continue to reap under these operations.
Kiriau said according to their data a total of 40 shipments were recorded of logs taking out from the province since January to June 2018. The number expects to double-up by this time.
He said that nationally, more logging activities pick-ups in Malaita, Guadalcanal and Choiseul provinces.
He said other provinces do existed with logging operation but not really to that much of the mentioned three provinces.
He said at the moment logging scoped the highest revenue government can collect in the country.
However, he said government’s proposal to scale down on logging by 2020 will be a blow for the country if they’re not considering major investments to take the place of logging.
LUANIUA one of the main villages in Lord Howe has been without a health centre for almost two years, it is reported.
This has been one of the reasons for the many deaths which have occurred during that period.
In an exclusive interview with a former chairman of Luaniua’s health committee, David Kepangi, he said the lack of a health centre was caused by funds being misused by their leaders.
Kepangi said throughout the past two years, they have had to rely on whatever little help they could get from neighbouring Pelau.
But, even this help from their sister community is not sufficient to meet the health and medical demands for the whole of Luaniua.
Kepangi adds that to this day, this problem remains unsolved by their leaders.
“Hence I hereby call on the responsible authorities, the Malaita provincial government health centre and our leaders to consider the importance of health services for our case as rural and remote settlers and provide us with proper health centre with medical drugs and facilities, real doctors and qualified health workers.
“As this lack of healthcare access is so bad in our community that people die from simple disease that can be cured with ordinary pills,” said Kepangi.
He asks how much longer will the people of Luaniua have to wait to have a proper health centre established in their community.
It is understood that Luaniua community is being serviced by an incomplete health centre which was constructed two years ago.
THREE years now and Moli Secondary School’s Science Lab project is still awaiting to be completed at Northwest Choiseul.
Over this delay, the Chairman of Moli Secondary School Mr Anthony Telovae raises serious concern as they would like to see the project now completed in order to assist boosting the level of education for their children in the school subject area of science.
“I make a strong appeal to the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development (MEHRD) to quickly assist in funding the remaining part of the project without delay as the contractor is still patiently waiting for the project’s materials,” said Mr Telovae.
Joy Abia legal officer of Transparency Solomon Islands (TSI) who was part of the CDF information sharing in Lord Howe.
BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO
Joy Abia legal officer of Transparency Solomon Islands (TSI) who was part of the CDF information sharing in Lord Howe.
THE people of Lord Howe can now say they know of the government’s constituency development fund (CDF) and what they expect from it.
A community awareness run by the Transparency Solomon Islands (TSI) last week at the villages of Luaniua and Pelau has been labelled an eye opener for the rural people of Lord Howe.
During the awareness, the people of Lord Howe were informed of their entitlement to benefit from the Fund.
They were also taught that this money is public money hence they have all the right to know how this money is used and spent in terms of constituency developments.
Executive Director of TSI Ruth Liloqula said it is essential to properly inform citizens about CDF because there is a need to address the problem of inequality in resource distributions within all constituencies.
Liloqula voiced that this has led to the introduction of sharing CDF information to help solve this inequality issues and also for citizens to know and ask on the whereabouts of the CDF.
She also adds by encouraging community members to participate in community development as well as having confident in monitoring this Fund.
“With this I encouraged you (community members) to participate in community developments, democratic processes and also monitor where funds being used because it’s a public money collected from taxes,” she said.
Chief Peter Kalili on behalf of the people of Lord Howe said the information on CDF shared has been an eye opener for Lord Howe communities.
Kalili said with this information they will able to assess the role of CDF in achieving equitable distribution of resources to constituencies.
Lord Howe community members participated on CDF information session
A French company is believed to have won the contract to supply fibre optic cable for the joint Papua New Guinea – Solomon Islands’ multi-million dollar undersea cable project, it was revealed this week.
The company which remains unnamed won the bid over two other rivals, including an American firm.
“It (the French company) has begun manufacturing the cables,” an insider told Island Sun earlier this week. It is not clear how long this part of the project would take.
China’s telco giant, Huawei initially won the multi-million dollar project, but Solomon Islands was forced to drop the Chinese company after Australia intervened.
Australia’s federal government instead selected Vocus to conduct the initial stages of the new undersea cable project in the South Pacific that will connect the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea with Australia.
The Department of Foreign Affairs signed a AU$2.8 million deal with the Australian telco company in January this year, allowing the company to conduct a scoping study for the design, construction and procurement of the submarine cable system.
The project will connect the major islands of the Solomons and PNG with Australia via a 4000-plus kilometre fibre optic cable, replacing each country’s reliance on old, unstable and expensive technologies, the Australian government said at the time.
The Solomon Islands currently has its telco needs wholly served by satellite, while PNG uses a low capacity cable that is nearing its end of life.
The study would last for up to three months and included consultation with the governments of the Solomon Islands and PNG and the commencement of permitting, Vocus said in a statement at the time.
It was expected to lead to the “rollout of a cable system on behalf of the Australian Government commencing in 2018”.
The cable project, which originally covered only the Solomons, was planned to be constructed by Chinese telecoms giant Huawei.
But that deal had come up against stiff opposition from the Australian government, who remain concerned about Huawei’s alleged links to the Chinese government and were worried about the possibility of a backdoor into Australia’s telecommunications network
The same concerns led to Huawei being blocked from bidding for work on Australia’s National Broadband Network (NBN) back in 2012.
In November last year, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill came to an agreement on the sidelines of the 2017 APEC Forum to lay a new cable between Port Moresby and Australia, while Australia continued discussions with the Solomon Islands government about “laying a similar undersea cable”.
“Both Papua New Guinea and Australia are committed to working with Solomon Islands to lay the undersea cables at the same time, allowing Solomon Islands to reap the same economic and development benefits of fast and reliable telecommunications,” Turnbull said then.
“We think that this will incur less debt. We will be doing a scoping study, and that scoping study and the financing for that scoping study will come out of our overseas development assistance,” a senior government minister said.
Solomon Islands government officials have now confirmed that security concerns were merely used by Canberra as an alibi.
“The real reason is economic rather than security. Australia does not want Solomon Islands to have direct access to China’s economic boom,” one official said recently.
A especially equipped ship laying cable on a similar project
A constituent from Savo/Russells constituency in the Central Islands Province has appealed to the police and anti-corruption bodies to treat politicians equally.
The constituent, who requested anonymity, made the call as the national general elections looms.
He said if former Prime Minister, Allan Kemakeza who was their former Member of Parliament, was sent to jail over corruption then police and anti-corruption bodies should do their work and find evidence of corruption against politicians.
He said politicians must be clean otherwise this is unfair to their people.
“It is unfair seeing MPs from other constituencies and their cronies continuing with corrupt practices but remain free,” the constituent said.
He said police and anti-corruption bodies should make every effort to find evidences of corruption against any politician and have him or her punished like what was done to their MP.
He said if police and anti-corruption bodies chose to ignore dealing with “corrupt politicians” it will slow the country’s development and raised racial discrimination and poverty.
He appealed to constituents to take this time around to vote for transparent and accountable leaders who will make the country realise real development.
He said the current practice where leaders dish-out solar, copper and boats are not real development.
He said developing the productive sector is real development as it will generate income for the country and raised people’s standard of living.
FORMER Prime Minister Mr Gordon Darcy Lilo and people of East Kwaio Constituency strongly condemn the article ‘Voter registration brings out dirt of the past’, published yesterday.
The article being written by local veteran Journalist Mr Alfred Sasako was focusing on the voter’s registration for the upcoming 2019 National General Election (NGE) having spewing our dirty practises of the past, particularly in Honiara.
He stated in the article as an example that the former PM who is recontesting the Gizo-Kolombangara seat urged East Kwaio voters in Honiara to register in his Constituency.
“Mr Lilo met members of the East Kwaio Constituency at the Children’s Park at Rove on Wednesday, urging them to register in his Western Province Constituency so they could vote for him in.”
The article also stated that more than 200 East Kwaio men and women had attended the gathering.
However according to a very disturbed Mr Lilo and local representatives of East Kwaio constituents who had met with Mr Lilo this week Mr Simon Palmer and Nigel Dennie, they clarify first wanting the public to know that it was not Mr Lilo who had called for the gathering.
Second, the people of East Kwaio Constituency who had gathered with Mr Lilo are connected with the former PM though blood system and having connection through Kwaio contractors working at the Kolombangara Forest Products Limited (KFPL) in Western Province, most Kwaio people working there at the KFPL have a reason, it is because of the respect they have in connection.
Mr Simon Palmer and Nigel Dennie, the leaders of the gathering then by East Kwaio Constituents were the ones who called for the gathering purposely to hear from Mr Lilo some of his awareness plans and about how he deals with the current election, his views, what to be aware of as these were the areas of discussion.
“We saw an article in today’s (yesterday) issue which we do not feel good about it because it is not true,” said Mr Palmer.
“It has no grounds. People have been feeding the writer with the wrong information. There is no proof to justify that these information’s are a hundred percent correct.
“Now if these information’s are correct, we would not have bothered to come and respond because what the article has stated would be true.
“Such news only abuses our rights or the rights of the people. Solomon Islands is a democratic country meaning all of us have our freedom of choice.
“Our gathering on Sunday as stated that was postponed being held on Wednesday was not on Gordon Darcy Lilo’s call.
“Mr Dennie and I are the ones who arranged for that gathering.
Mr Palmer elaborated explaining that as East Kwaio Constituents, there was a time when the writer of the article was in power as a Parliamentarian for their Constituency at the National Government for two terms before losing his position.
“The question here is why did he drop? We the people of East Kwaio Constituency have our own stories. The people have their own reasons why they did not vote for him again now seeing having the current MP for our Constituency,” said Palmer.
“To this day, there are no such things as proper developments on infrastructures for the people who had put them in power to use as means of development in the Constituency.
“Maybe from seeing and curiously working out that the people of his Constituency might be moving away from his Constituency where he intends to be contesting in the upcoming 2019 NGE is why he thought of writing this way but then, we all have our right to move wherever we want to as long as our move is constitutional.
“So we need to clarify what was published so that people would not be misled.
“Such article abuses our rights. Despite that, we will not believe such. No one will be listening to such crap because each individual has their own right.”
A Cow does not always stay where the grass dries up, it turns and go looking for somewhere else that has greener pastures and fresher water so that though when no help is around them, they can still sustain in such environment said Simon setting it as an example.
“For the past twelve solid years there has been no proper effect of development in our Constituency by our MP’s whom we voted into power. They did not apply for that power, it is the peoples power that set them up.
“What the writer stated is very discouraging, he must provide proof and provide the truth behind his story too so that we would understand his motive. This is so that peopled would not be misled.
“So we will not listen to such, where we go we will be going,” slammed Mr Palmer.
Mr Lilo when responding to the article yesterday as well clarified that he never convened any meeting at Children’s Park.
“That is false,” said Mr Lilo.
“I met family members of contractors at KFPL inquiring about their prospect to vote. They have their right to do so and requested to meet me,” said the former PM.
He urges to understand that it is citizens’ fundamental rights to choose to vote in any Constituency in the country. As long as they are citizens nothing is wrong.
“What’s wrong about it? You can’t stop people to exercise their fundamental rights under the Constitution to choose whether to register and vote and their choice of leader to vote for. That is important in our Democracy to respect,” reminded Lilo.
It is understood that Mr Alfred Sasako stand by his article.
General Manager of Solomon Islands Tobaco Company (left), one of the smoke candies using the Kent cigarette brand (right). Photo supllied
SITCo condemns and distances itself from illegal cigarette candy
By Gary Hatigeva
General Manager of Solomon Islands Tobaco Company (left), one of the smoke candies using the Kent cigarette brand (right). Photo supllied
THE Solomon Islands Tobacco Company (SITCO), has come out in strong support and joins the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS), to condemn the promotion and selling of the recently revealed Candy Smoke.
On Thursday, the Ministry came out publicly on the product, stressing its legal status under Solomon Islands Laws particularly, under the Tobacco Control Act 2010, which was said to be illegal, and sent out strong warnings on those that are involved in selling, promoting and bringing them in.
Following a number of publication on the candy issue, the SITCO General Manager Shusendra Singh, responded to media reports on the products and expressed the company’s strong condemnation on its promotion and selling in the local market.
The General Manager said such products are misleading and do not meet the requirements of the Tobacco Control Act and Regulations.
Certain sections of both the Solomon Islands Tobacco Control Act and the Pure Food Regulation, have been used to confirm the status of the Candy Smoke, which made it illegal and should be banned in the country.
The product according to officials, has been used by some players in the industry, as a deceptive method of marketing and to promote smoking, disguising under the name of candy, with intentions to target the younger ones as any country’s future generations.
SITCo as one of the only two local tobacco manufacturers in the country however, detached itself from the highlighted issue and reiterated its stand to support the authorities in all their efforts to curb what has been described as, an illegal act.
“The candy type products mentioned in media are not SITCO’sr products. We fully support Ministry of Health’s efforts on enforcement and compliance,” Mr Singh told this paper.
Meanwhile, authority officials revealed that currently, they have no trace to where the products were originated from, but are certain they are not produced locally.
They however warned that a collaborative operation with police and customs will do a follow up and based on reports including whatever outcome from an intense investigation currently underway, those found connected to the importation and promotion of the product, will also face heavy penalties.
Raphael Le’ai (middle) celebrating his second goal in style while Satu
(left) and Alford Kanahimane (right) join him.
BY ROMULUS HUTA
AN inspirational performance from Raphael Le’ai saw him seized a hat-trick and a brace on his 16th birthday as Solomon Islands whipped PNG 5-0 in yesterday’s Pool A contest of the OFC Under-16 championship in Honiara.
Raphael Le’ai (middle) celebrating his second goal in style while Satu (left) and Alford Kanahimane (right) join him.
Le’ai’s four goals couldn’t come at a better time but rather on his actual birthday in his debut international football appearance. Personally, this means a lot to him in the most possible way.
“The four goals I scored means a lot to me and it’s a perfect celebration of my 16th birthday which is today (yesterday). This is the first game and it’s a really important win for us.
“Our victory also shows that it’s a good start to our campaign. This will set the tone for us ahead of going into the second game on Wednesday against another strong challenge which is New Zealand.
“I aim to score more goals in the remaining matches in the competition,” an overwhelmed Le’ai, who is known as ‘Rafa’ to his team mates and close friends, told SunSPORTS in an interview after the match.
Fellow team-mate Chris Satu joins Le’ai on the scoresheet and this sum up a perfect start for coach Stanley Waita and his boys infront of a vocal home crowd support at the Lawson Tama Stadium.
Waita was impressed with the remarkable performance put up by the young striker.
“Rafa did extremely well. He did exactly of what was expected from him.
“It’s a bonus having him in our team. I look forward to see him score more goals in this competition.”
The four goals by Le’ai put him in the number one position ahead of everyone in the race for golden boot in this competition after match day one.
The rising star, who is dubbed as the Solomon Islands latest ‘futsal prodigy’, is blessed with a natural left foot and an eye for goal and that initially surfaced with an impressive performance at the OFC Youth Futsal Tournament last year in New Zealand where he won the golden boot award with a staggering 35 goals across six matches.
Le’ai was called in by the Solomon Islands Football Federation technical department to assist the national under-16 side where he had to switch code from playing the indoor version to the conventional (11-a-side), despite also being faced up with another preparation for next month’s Youth Olympic Games’ futsal competition in Argentina with the under-17 futsal side.
