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Solomon Islands Parliament benefits from Pacific initiative

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Solomon Islands National Parliament

By Gary Hatigeva

A group of researchers are currently in Honiara under a Pacific Parliamentary Effectiveness Initiative (PPEI) to help strengthen the country’s parliamentary system of operations and governance.

Funded by the New Zealand Government through the United Nations Development Programme for Pacific Island countries, the initiative aims to strengthen the capacity of the parliament secretariats to provide support to Members of Parliament.

These includes the enhancement in the capacity of parliaments in all participating countries to debate budgets and provide for effective public accounts committee operations at the same time mainstream development issues in the work of parliament and support the running of practice parliaments for women.

The initiative also looks to promote the selection of an increased number of women candidates by political parties and improve information exchange on the south-south cooperation between Pacific parliaments.

Meanwhile, parliament officials revealed that the group will join the budget team during the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearings where they will also, under the initiative, be providing support on the overall reviewing of the national budget.

The Pacific Parliamentary Effectiveness Initiative (PPEI) is a three-year programme designed to provide support to Parliaments in the Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands.

The project’s overall outcome is to meet citizens’ expectations for voice, development and the rule of law and accountability and through support to the partner parliaments to strengthen systems of democratic governance.

PAC hearings into Appropriation Bill 2018 start today

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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DPM Douglas Ete

By Gary Hatigeva

THE National Parliament has yesterday confirmed that hearings with all government ministries and institutes into the 2018 Appropriation Bill will start today.

The hearings will begin with presentations and witnesses from the Commercial and Banking institutions, which includes the Central Bank of Solomon Islands, the Asian Development Bank and World Bank.

National Parliament’s Media Unit in a statement further confirmed that the much awaited Bill was tabled in Parliament on Monday, March 12, 2018.

The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Douglas Ete with relief commended the government for fulfilling its responsibility however, cautioned them on the time required for the Committee to diligently scrutinize the budget.

In its statement, the Media Unit said the PAC Chairman pointed out that the budget is quite a significant one, as it is the last budget before the House dissolves.

“Given that the budget documents were brought in parts through last week and over the weekend, the Chairman emphasizes that his members ought to be briefed properly before seeing all the line ministries and their subsidiaries,” the statement adds.

The PAC Chairman then reiterated that this is a necessary part of the oversight process, as the Committee is obliged to table and inform Parliament on its findings and recommendations.

He therefore suggested that his Committee be accorded ample time of at least two weeks to fulfil their Constitutional and Legislative duty.

The Committee has written to the Prime Minister to further adjourn Parliament, when it resumes on March 19.

Meanwhile, when contacted yesterday, the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (OPMC) confirmed receiving the notice, which seeks an additional adjournment to parliament sitting, but says the Prime Minister has yet to put any official respond to the request.

Today’s hearing is scheduled to start at 2pm this afternoon while 2 ministries are lined up for tomorrow’s session, which starts at 9am with the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, followed by the Ministry of Provincial Government & Institutional Strengthening.

Later in the afternoon, the hearing is expected to receive presentations from local Provincial Assemblies, which will include Western, Malaita, Central and Guadalcanal Provinces.

The PAC during the hearings will receive assistances from seven international representatives and officials within various parliaments in Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji, who will also provide support on the overall reviewing of the national budget.

Police in Munda investigate alleged sexual grooming

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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POLICE at the Munda Police Station have thanked several women who had the courage and responsibility to report an alleged sexual grooming matter on March 11, 2018 which they are now investigating.

“We have received a report and I want to thank these women who were concerned and took the initiative to come forward to police when they saw that things didn’t look right,” says Sergeant Rachel Lilo, Officer-in-Command of the Munda Police Station.

“As citizens of this country, we should take bold actions to eradicate this kind of behaviour involving our young women and girls.

“We are now aware of the report and currently investigating it. I want to call on the general public not to remain silent on this kind of incident, but to come forward to police and report what you know and may have seen so that proper investigations can be carried out.

“I call on relatives and friends of those young women or girls as well as members of the public to come forward with information that may assist the police investigation into the matter.”

–POLICE MEDIA

Gold Ridge Mine begins recommissioning

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Joining pipes to reconnect the water supply to the site accommodation units.

THE first phase of the Gold Ridge Mine office and accommodation reconstruction recently completed with the second phase starting this week.

Phase one marked the first construction work on site aimed at returning the mine to production in early 2019.

This work follows months of planning and site review to decide the extent and cost of the refurbishment to look at opportunities to improve the efficiency and profitability of the mine.

This first phase of construction involved the installation of new walls, window frames, ceilings, and the re-establishment of the electricity supply to the mine office as well as the first stage of the accommodation redevelopment. 17 local workers were involved in the reconstruction works for phase one.

March sees the commencement of phase two with experts in operations, mining and machinery arriving to undertake detailed design work as well as to start site infrastructure works including road repairs and bridge design works.

About 40 local personnel are forecast to be employed for a three-month period beginning in late March. During the month, materials to refurbish site office buildings and laboratories will arrive in Honiara.

Gold Ridge community landowners and chiefs said that it was good to see local people involved in the reconstruction and using and improving their skills.

Community awareness in the Gold Ridge Community Landowner Association, Kolobosi Tailings Dam and Matepono Downstream Association areas also starts this week. “Our community relations team has spent the last six weeks engaging with Chiefs and landowners to develop an awareness programme for communities,” Walton Naezon, Director of GRML, said.

“We thank landowners for volunteering their time to guide our community activities to meet the needs of our communities.”

Allen Wang, Deputy Chief Executive Officer for GRML, reinforced the importance of the relationship with landowners, “Our community awareness approach recognises that landowners are vital partners in the recommissioning and delivery of Gold Ridge Mine with landowners and company representatives jointly delivering the awareness,” said Mr Wang.

–GRML PRESS

Contractors told to explain why they need to be paid

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

By Alfred Sasako

CONTRACTORS engaged by the Government to undertake maintenance and other works on government properties have been told to write “a strong letter” to the Ministry of Infrastructure Development explaining why they should be paid.

One of the contractors, Johnny Nelson, told Island Sun yesterday this was the response from the Ministry when some 150 contractors followed up their payments, which have been outstanding since last year.

“The Permanent Secretary simply told us to write a strong letter explaining why we should be paid and what we are going to spend the money on.

“The fact of the matter is we were engaged under contract to do a job and we have done it. Why in the world should be writing a strong letter requesting payment and explaining what the payment would be spent on?,” Mr Nelson said yesterday.

He said it would seem things have turned back to front.

“We have outstanding school fees to settle. We have families to feed and so on. So why do we need to explain to the government where we are going to spend the money, which as far as I am concerned is something we have already earned,” Mr Nelson said.

The Permanent Secretary [acting] of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development could not be contacted for comments last night.

Murray did not get permission to run business: LCC

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THE Chairman of the Leadership Code Commission Solomon Kalu told court yesterday that the former Permanent Secretary Henry Murray had not sought permission to run businesses.

In his evidence in chief Mr Kalu said in 2016 he sent out emails attaching documents to all permanent secretaries and leaders of all government ministries to complete if they own a business.

“It is a requirement stated well in the Act and regulation of the Leadership Code Commission that leaders must comply,” Kalu told the court.

“However in the case of the accused he never sought permission to run business and also never seeks permission to get a contract from the government involving his private business.”

During the cross examination, defence showed the witness a copy of the LCC declaration document as to whether or not he received the document.

However witness Kalu said he did not receive the copy of the declaration as the document did not contain the received stamp on it.

Yesterday the Chairman of the Leadership Code Commission and the Chairman of the Public Service Commission were the witnesses who testified in court.

The two witnesses were explaining the procedures and processes in place guiding Government leaders and what is expected of them.

The Murrays were charged in relation to an allegation relate to a series of offences alleged between 2014 to 2017 in relation to multiple payments of motor vehicle hire charges to a company that police alleged was registered to the PS and his wife.

The value of those payments is estimated to the excess of 1.1 million dollars and as a result of that they both face a range of serious charges.

Prosecution alleged that those payments were allegedly made through cheques and electronic funds transfers, were deposited into their ANZ account in the name of Krash Transport and Marketing.

Leslie Kwaiga from L & L law firm represents the couple while Florence Joel from the Office of the Director Public Prosecution appears for the crown.

More charges on man in indecent act case

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THE Public Prosecutor Patrick Abe has sought an adjournment on the case against a man facing one count of indecent Act.

Appeared before Principal Magistrate Fatimah Taeburi, Mr Abe said they will file a memo to the Director of Public Prosecution in regards to the charge against the accused.

The court was told that the prosecution will amend the current charge to a higher charge based on the medical report.

Ms Taeburi then grants the application and adjourns the case to March 19.

Taeburi also made orders for the prosecution to file amended charges by March 15 and defence lawyer to take instruction for plea and for the preliminary Inquiry.

She then said that on the next appearance the court should know what form of PI will be conducted on the case.

A lawyer from the Public Solicitor’s office is representing the accused in court.

Mbetilonga landowner urges government to deport foreigners breaking the law

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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By Alfred Sasako

A Mbetilonga landowner is urging the Government to deport the owner of One Pacific Company Ltd, a logging company allegedly engaged in illegally logging government land in east Guadalcanal.

The land is located in Parcel Nos. 191-060-01, 191-060-02 and 191-060-03, once earmarked as the catchment area for the Komarigi Hydro scheme. The government has since abandoned the hydro scheme project, but continues to hold a 75-year lease over the land.

One Pacific Company Ltd and Mbetilonga Landholdings Group Community Company Ltd have signed a five-year deal under a Mutual Technology and Management Agreement on April 14, 2015.

It is not clear whether One Pacific Company Ltd is a member of the Solomon Forest Association (SFA), the industry’s self-regulatory body.

The landowner who wants to remain anonymous told Island Sun yesterday Mbetilonga landowners have received no benefits whatsoever from the logging operations, which began exporting round logs since November 24, 2015.

He said the owner of One Pacific Company Ltd, Wong Hook Ping, should be deported for misleading non-landowners into signing a deal which benefits no one but the company and its workers.

“We, as a community, have received no benefits whatsoever from the operations,” the landowner said.

“Secondly, the land is owned by the Government and Mr Wong knows it,” the man said.

He said the government cannot afford to continue to allow foreigners who flaunt the law with the prime objective to enrich themselves.

Documents obtained by Island Sun newspaper this week show Mbetilonga Land Holdings Group Community Company Ltd raked in some $64 million in export revenue since it began exporting round logs through One Pacific Company Ltd on November 24, 2015.

The felling licence was granted by the Commissioner of Forest, Reeves Moveni. Many said the Commissioner knew the land was on lease to the government.

Prime Minister Ricky Houenipwela has since ordered an investigation into Commissioner Moveni’s involvement.

“The Community has never received a single penny from this money. We don’t even know where the money has and is going,” the Mbetilonga landowner said.

He said everything about the set up was wrong from the start.

“For example, the two legal trustees of the land, Francis Labo and Gabriel Uni, have all died. They were the legal trustees of 5, 560 hectares of land, which is on lease to the Government for 75 years.

“How the company transferred their powers to new trustees is a mystery. By law it is illegal to do that without putting out a public notice of the intention.

In this case, nothing of that sort took place,” he said.

Meanwhile the man said Mr Wong once told the meeting of so-called landowners that they should not worry about government officials.

“They are my boys, Mr Wong allegedly told the recent meeting.

“Mr Wong also told us that one senior government official is receiving $4 per cubic metres from every round log exported. Some 65, 698.631 cubic metres were exported between 24 November 2015 and 14 October 2017, figures obtained by Island Sun show.

Based on this figure, the official would have collected some $263, 000 from the arrangement, which he said came into force last year.

Investigation into rape incident ongoing

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THE case of a 64-year-old- man from Isabel province alleged of raping a nine-year-old girl in 2015 has been adjourned for 14 days.
Public Prosecutor John Zoze told the court that investigation into the case is still ongoing and sought further adjournment.
The accused is still without a lawyer.
The old man on this case is facing three counts of rape under the Amendment (SEXUAL OFFENCE) ACT.
The allegation said that the man committed the incidents over a period of three years on unknown dates of 2015 and February 2018 at a village in Isabel province.
The prosecution alleges that the old man and the girl were from the same village.
The case was reported to Buala police in which he was arrested and sent to Honiara to appear before the court on the allegations against him.
Principal Magistrate Tearo Beneteti presides over the case.

Saving our tress

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

Country’s first-ever forest technical group holds talks over future of our forests

 

THE national government through its Forest ministry is working with stakeholders to pave way for successful sustenance of our forests.

A first-ever established forest technical working group has convened their first meeting at King Solomon conference room on Monday this week.

Technical experts, forest related international non-government organisations and donors including Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), World Wide Fund (WWF), Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Programme (PHAMA), Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), SPC/GIZ, UNDP, NZaid and Ausaid are in attendance.

This is a collaboration initiative led by the Ministry of Forest and Research (MOFR) with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on aim to share information and experiences as means to find way forward through strong collaboration where necessary.

Interim chairman and Ministry of Forestry and Research Permanent Secretary, Dr Vaeno Vigulu thanks all the organisations, donors and governments for their invaluable support in many ways since the past till now as crucial.

“The forestry sector is the main revenue generator for the government the past decades until recently.

“Thus this meeting is timely as the government is looking into ways to sustain the forest by promoting afforestation, reforestation, enrichment and regeneration management in the logged-over island rainforests.

“Also in the form of promoting non-timber forest products and aesthetic values of the island rainforests to support livelihoods to reduce reliance on timber products; more importantly promote sustainable forest management to progressively support the economy in the long term.”

Mr Vigulu adds the Ministry over the years had collaborations with many donor partners on various strategies and activities of priority policy area objectives of the government.

Thus it is proper that discussion here is equally important with presence of multi-stakeholders, to note what policy areas the Ministry has support from and other areas that there’s still need for assistance especially on initiatives to sustain or reduce the exploitation and reliance on forest timber products, he says.

“With such needs and the availability of the donor supports in terms of capacity building, technical know-how and logistics; this meeting was called to establish a working group.

“This working group allows for discussion and strategise on the way forward to avoid repetition of activities or re-inventing the wheels.

“As such this group will be the mechanism for sharing of information by all stakeholders.”

The Permanent Secretary then acknowledges Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for leading in making arrangements which now see the first-ever forest technical working group meeting eventuate.

–MOFR PRESS

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