BY ALFRED PAGEPITU

GIZO

PEOPLE of Harapa village in the Shortland Islands are calling on the national government and the police not to neglect them.

They claim that since last week’s armed robbery at the Malohuna logging camp, nothing has been forthcoming from the national government and the royal Solomon Islands police force (RSIPF).

It was reported that on March 25, eight men believed to be from Bougainville, with the help of two Solomon Islanders, held personnel at the logging camp at gun point and took off with cash, valuables and machines.

“This case is not new now which police is doing very little about and we call on the national government to quickly addressing Solomon Islands border issues of this country,” says a village elder, who wants his name withheld in fear of repercussions.

He says they want to feel and see RSIPF presence on the ground at their communities, rather than hearing on the radio or reading in the newspapers that police claims to be investigating the incident.

“Investigation is still ongoing, and on several times police teams were sent on shift duties to Malohuna to carry out investigations but our concern are to secure our border securities first over neighbouring Bougainville.

“If the RSIPF and national government are taking these issues lightly and should anything happen between the parties in the future, who are we to blame?”

Meanwhile, it is understood from yesterday’s police media release that two of the armed robbers were arrested by police on March 29.

Provincial Police Commander (PPC), Western Province, Chief Superintendent Mathias Lenialu, says, “The successful arrest of the two alleged robbers was possible in a joint police operation comprising of the Police Response Team (PRT), police from Western and Choiseul Provinces as well police investigators from Honiara and officers of Police Maritime.

“The two men are facing one count each of robbery and appeared in court on March 31, 2018 and ordered to be remanded in the Gizo Prison, Correctional Service Solomon Islands (CSSI) Centre.”

The two arrested suspects are believed to be in their 40s and 20s, and are Solomon Islanders.

The investigation into the matter is continuing as other alleged robbers are still at large.

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

WESTERN Province Premier Wayne Maepioh confirms their investment arm debt of $17million with a Philippines fishing company in joint venture during the past has been cleared.

The Philippines fishing company in joint venture with the Western Province Investment Corporation had left this debt-task being one of the many debts that the current WPG were struggling to clear.

“WPIC’s Investment Arm’s current group have just finally cleared a lot of Western Province debts for companies including the $17 Million owed by the previous provincial government,” said Mr Maepioh.

“Over the last 12 months we have been working very hard to overcome these debts.

“We have been struggling to clear these debts being caused by the previous provincial government which has been quite a mess.”

The debt from the fishing company joint venture according to a reliable source recently within the provincial government was mainly on fuel at Noro Town the fishing company owed to suppliers SPOL, Markwarth and Silent World companies.

By Alfred Sasako

BUY-One-Feed-All is the theme of a four-day fundraising drive which Atoifi Hospital staff and nursing students are launching in Honiara this morning.

The group which arrived in Honiara on the weekend is launching a DVD on the Buy-One-Feed-All theme at the Maranatha Hall in east Honiara.

The group which comprises some 52 staff and students is led by none other than the Hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Jason Diau, the only doctor who has served the hospital for the last four years.

Their mission is to raise funds for the Patients’ Feeding Programme at the Hospital.

“I guess it is the sustainability of the programme that concerns us,” Dr Diau told Island Sun yesterday.

It cost the hospital around $50, 000 to feed the patients last year, which recorded 1, 500 admissions. In the same period the Out-Patients attended some 24, 000 cases in 2017.

But the group is here not just to ask for your help. They too are offering help in return.

They are offering free health checks in a “Health Expo Programme,” being organised to coincide with the fundraising drive. This will be officially launched at nine o’clock this morning. It ends on Wednesday.

“Those want to be checked are expected to go through eight stations being set up. At the end, their data would be fed into the machine which would show the result for individuals to see whether or not they are healthy.

“The Health Expo Programme is a concept developed by the Weimar institute and Wildwood lifestyle in the United States. It systemically looks at eight main factors relating to disease prevention and physical, emotional and spiritual health. These are – nutrition, exercise, water, sunshine, temperance, air, rest and trust in divine power,” Diau explained.

“Interested individuals and organisations are welcome to be part of the free heath check programme as it is free for members of the public,” he said.

Diau said the hospital is grateful for the financial support provided by the government each year, adding it is getting thinner as the cost of running the hospital increases each year.

The hospital, which currently operates on a $3.4 million budget, is now looking at alternate energy as fuel is consuming something in the order of $400,000 a year.

BY ALFRED PAGEPITU & BARNABAS MANEBONA

THE Western province government has come under strong attack over lack of transparency in the progress of the province’s investment corporation (WPIC).

Premier Wayne Maepioh has however downplayed this, saying that financial statements for the WPIC are ready for audit.

Non-executive member Ramrakha Talasasa, MPA for Nusatupe ward, accuses Maepioh’s government of taking control of the WPIC. In doing so, Mr Talasasa alleges that the body has been allowed to become impotent.

Speaking in last week’s first assembly on the 2017-18 supplementary budget, Talasasa said WPIC is an entity that is owned by the province and has a board which includes members of the assembly.

“This composition provides the assembly the right to know where in terms of investment we are, or what the liquidity rations of the WPIC are.” But, he said, this is not the case.

“No report has been tabled in the assembly in the last four years, and no one seems to know how or where all the investment funds paid to WPIC have gone to.

“Is there enough cash flow to pay for the expected liabilities of WPIC? What is the return on investment in the last eight years?” he asks.

He questions whether the body has any investment opportunities at all, challenging the assembly to come up with options with which WPIC can be helped to realise its potential.

“How can the assembly assist in ensuring a public corporation such as WPIC realises its potential to diversify and expand and at the same time, be accountable for and transparent in its dealings?”

Premier Maepioh, speaking to Island Sun yesterday, says the province is waiting for the legal ordinance regarding WPIC, which is still with the Attorney General.

He said they are currently on the final touches of the WPIC ordinance to make it be governed properly.

They are also looking at the financial statements under preparation as they are looking forward to conduct the audit as soon as possible for the Assembly to look into.

“All the revised areas governing the body of WPIC are captured on the ordinance as we have already passed it. But there was a finding that the AG’s Chamber said needs good vetting through proper linking with other relevant acts to not breach with other acts in which it should be ready around May,” said Maepioh

“Currently it is on the process and is almost complete. When the ordinance is complete then we will give it back to the Assembly for blessing so that it becomes a legal entity governed by ordinance.”

Maepioh elaborated that in the absence of the ordinance, the authority is only mandated by policy with no ordinance governing as a backup of legal power.

Meanwhile, Maepioh also clarified that there is only one investment for WPIC and no other. And that is the investment at Noro for the rental of housings rented by Solomon Tuna.

“When they rent for these houses, they also ask for their repairs as well over which most of the money collected from the houses are only used back for maintenance.

“In terms of efficiency, we are trying to get to our new development plans but all our rentals seem to be only rotating for maintenance and so only little is saved to support our contribution to the province every month.

“Though we only have a short time now before elections, WPIC is one of the priorities that we want to put to a standard being approved by the people.”