By Mike Puia

THE Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) is taking the lead in re-looking into the issue of prostitution among Honiara local girls.

Prostitution is illegal in the country but some local girls are practising it in an ad hoc basis.

Some of these girls are harboured at the Honiara Botanic Garden, a spot in the city where one can enjoy a series of pleasant woodland trails through ecological treasure.

Now, the Botanical Garden has become known for sheltering girls who avail themselves to get paid to provide sex to men. They are often referred to as solfish.

RSIPF’s Director of National Prevention Centre, Solomon Sisimia, said they are bringing about 20 stakeholders to a consultation meeting to look at how this issue can be addressed.

The meeting is set for March 29.

“This is the first time we want to seriously look into this issue,” Mr Sisimia said.

He said the meeting is to draw ideas from different stakeholders on what needs to be done to address the issue and to find a common ground for all that will involve in dealing with the issue.

Sisimia said during this meeting the RSIPF and stakeholders will identify which stakeholder will take on the issue.

He said the issue is overdue and they expect which ever group identified after the meeting to take on this issue as far as checking on the girls’ families.

“We want to see which ever group that will take up this issue to talk to families of these girls and find out why these girls acted like this,” Sisimia said.

He said police is leading the facilitation of the upcoming meeting but non-government organisations and churches will take the lead in doing the actual work.

Stakeholders that are expected to attend the meeting include; Christian Care Centre (CCC), Family Support Centre (FSC), Seif Ples, government Ministries like the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children & Family Affairs (MWYCFA), Ministry of Commence, Industries, Labour & Immigration (MCILI), Ministry of Forest & Research (MoFR), churches and non-government organisations like Save the Children Australia (SCA), World Vision Solomon Islands (WVSI) and others.

This initiative is supported by the Solomon Islands Police Support Programme (SIPSP) and the Solomon Islands Development Programme (SIDP). SIPSP is supported by the New Zealand government while the SIDP is supported by the Australian government.

By Gary Hatigeva

THE Honiara City Council (HCC) is set to conduct inspections of shops for continued selling of expired products in the capital city as of next week.

Honiara City Mayor Andrew Mua in an interview yesterday confirmed that there will be checks for expired goods, shop conditions and compliance with city council health regulations.

Mr Mua said the council, following a good number of complaints from consumers, decided to fast track the planned exercise to next week and go hard on bussinesses, ensuring worthiness of products on shelves while at the same time thoroughly inspect product labels.

“If we find any goods with labels that aren’t written in English or Pijin but are in a foreign language that we can’t read, we will remove them from the shelves,” Mua stressed.

The last time HCC carried out similar exercises, inspections were extended to restaurants and roadside food stalls, but the Mayor has not touched on that.

Mua said the city council plans to ensure that all shops especially those selling consumable goods in Honiara, meet all HCC health regulations.

“If shops are caught with expired goods, then we will close it down and officers from the city council’s environment department as of next week and on, will begin the inspection exercise.”

The Mayor however added that even goods with three months left before they expire will also be ordered out of the shelves.

In the recent weeks, Island Sun also received a good number of complaints from consumers regarding expired goods being bought where in most cases are nonrefundable, but the Mayor pointed out that this time round, the Council will ensure that customers are given the right services and served with goods of quality standards as far as HCC laws are concerned.

He furthers that also this time round, they (HCC) will go hard on offenders and revealed that if found guilty, people caught will be liable to pay fines of up to $10,000.

Meanwhile, the City Mayor called on the consuming members of the public to help the authority track down what he described as illegal practices that continue to wear in on the health status of Honiara City residents who continue to suffer the consequences.

He said the success of this crackdown and inspection exercise will also need the assistance of the general public as a lot of the shop operators will do all they can to avoid being caught.

He said it has now come to the council’s attention that in the past, when inspected, shops will hide away the expired stuff from their shelves and put them back up after.

“This would definitely be out of our control, but that is why I stressed the need for public cooperation because you will then be our eyes if shops do get away with their unworthy of sell goods, and please, don’t hesitate to report anything you find odd and may be seen in breach of the mentioned ordinances.”

BY ALFRED PAGEPITU

GIZO

WESTERN Province Premier Wayne Maepioh has commended the first-ever women’s empowerment and transformation policy for the province.

Mr Maepio said this policy will empower and transform women to change their status quo and demand improved services and development for improved livelihood.

“This policy is not intended only for the Division of Women Youth and Sports but calls for a whole of government approach to ensure its effective implementation.

“A multisectoral approach to address gender and women issues calls for all sectors across the provincial government, civil society organizations, faith-based organisation, the private sector, and communities to take ownership of this policy and responsibility for the implementation of key strategies and actions spelt out in this policy, specific to their mandates.

“It is the hope of the Western Provincial Government that this policy will provide opportunities for further collaboration with the National Government particularly the Ministry of Women Youth Children and Family Affairs.”

Maepio adds that he expects donors and development partners to provide support for the province in its endeavour to empower women.

He acknowledges that being the province’s first-ever policy on women, the Western province will meet its fair share of challenges, but reassures public that his government is prepared to counter and tackle these challenges.

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

Auki

MALATA provincial police has proposed a two-day awareness talk to communities in ward 24 in West Are’are, Malaita province.

Malaita Provincial Police Commander (PPC), Mr Timothy Apaesi told this paper yesterday that the talk is set for mid next month.

He said the awareness talk will be on the Crime Prevention Strategy (CRS) and Community Policing (CP) to communities of Pipisu and surroundings.

Mr Apaesi said the talk will cover important areas under the CRS and CP that help people to understand their responsibilities in keeping law and order in their communities.

He said the talk will also enlighten the communities on how they should work together with police to tackle anti-social behaviours in the communities.

Apaesi said his office proposed the talk upon a request made by communities for police to carry out awareness talks in their areas.

He said his office has drawn up a similar programme for the province this year, and will soon roll-out with it.