BY ALFRED PAGEPITU

GIZO

Vonunu Solar Hybrid project land consultation is fully supported by all leaders of Bilua in South Vella la Vella Island in Western Province.

“This will improve our way of living while at the same time fulfilling the government’s millennium goal of energising the whole country by 2050,” they say.

A Mr Tim Bula said this is a golden opportunity to shine and be counted as one place that has received safe, reliable and affordable energy.

He said the beauty of this project is that it is not politically driven, ‘it is the Government directing Solomon Power to fully energise the country’.

“I would like to call on the people of vella la Vella Island that this is tangible development coming to our shores.

“Two lights and power point used wisely will cost around $50 per month and 120 dry coconuts dried over cooking areas of our kitchens and selling it at our many local buyers at current price ($2.80/kg).

“Now we are half way there. Members have written so many things about development of our island but some developments have taken shape quietly.”

BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO

MINISTER of Ministry of Women Youth Children and Family Affairs (MWYCF) Hon Frida Tuki Soriocomua has applauded the Australian government for supporting many of the country’s programmes for women, children and youth.

She voiced this at the International Women’s Day celebration in Honiara yesterday.

She said the support rendered by the Australian government was evidence through the legislation of keeping women and girls of Solomon Islands safe and protected, support through economic empowerment of our women in both the formal and informal sectors.

Also support towards education for promoting gender equity in scholarship awards and of its many technical assistance and advisory to the MWYCFA, especially the women development division.

She highlights that the national government values Australia’s support very much.

“Hence I thank the government of Australia for support towards many of our programs for women, children and youth,” Tuki said.

BY LORETTA BRIGIDIA MANELE

ON Tuesday, government communication officers representing various ministries attended a workshop at the Iron Bottom Sound conference room.

Master of Ceremony and Director of Government Communication Unit, Mr George Herming said the SIG Information/Press officers workshop aims to create a network of information officers from the government and how they can partner with the mainstream media and other stakeholders to raise awareness or raise a national consensus for our people more specifically, about what the government is doing, what it plans to do and about programmes it aspires to carry out.

Herming stated that the workshop is also to help them start somewhere.

“As we move on we will have a common communications policy to guide our operations as government communications officers to reach out to our people,” he said.

He also voiced that as communication officers they have the responsibility to execute a very important role of raising awareness about the work of the government.

“In order to achieve that, we have to do it more effectively, enhance our knowledge, work together, and coordinate properly to achieve our mission of informing our people.”

He said more than half of the ministries have communication officers.

By Gary Hatigeva

OFFICIALS at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade from the Seasonal Workers Programme (SWP) are currently in Australia under the invitation of the Growcom, an association of growers and farmers in the Queensland state for a workshop and interaction based on the scheme.

It is revealed that Solomon Islands is amongst other participating countries of the workers scheme, most of which have the lowest number recruitment in the programme.

These countries include officials from responsible ministries in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Timor Leste.

Insiders revealed that these countries have been invited to attend a workshop hosted by the Growcom, with the intention to allow for participating nations to interact while at the same time work on promoting why these farmers (Members of the Association) should recruit from their countries.

Queensland is a popular state in Australia and around the world, known for its mass contribution to the global food and other farming products and a lot of those that aren’t members yet have now shown high interests in the program.

“A lot of the farmers in Queensland have heard of the Seasonal Workers Scheme and have shown interests to join, and with their involvement would also mean more opportunities for participating countries of the scheme,” sources explained.

It is further revealed that in the workshop, participating officials have basically tried to promote their workers and place on the negotiating table what sort of workers they have to offer for farmers under the scheme, also at the same time enlighten the association on the recruitment process that each nations have in place and other related areas.

That according to officials, will give Solomon Islands an edge as to why these farmers should think about recruiting from the country.

No hard and fast expectations but initial discussions and negotiations with the Association have already started and some of the farmers are not part of the scheme yet but are interested because they have difficulty in recruiting locally.

Insiders added that most farmers in Australia are also finding it hard to recruit even with backpackers who are their regular employees, but are said to be unreliable and inconsistent workers.

New Zealand farmers have also shown high interests in workers from these nations and are keen on doing similar initiative, but have quota and are therefore restricted.

It is understood that officials from the Foreign Affairs Ministry have held regular visits to farms in both Australia and New Zealand as part of their pastoral care obligations and our participating officials are expected to do that next week with the country’s current employers.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

POLICE Commissioner Mathew Varley reassures the people that police are there to protect the citizens of this country including women and girls.

Commissioner Varley said International Women’s Day is celebrated across the world to advance on gender equality and the Royal Solomon Island Police Force is proud to be part of the match yesterday.

He said RSIPF is committed to gender equality and of course the progress of women throughout the organisation not only for women’s achievement themselves but the organisation wants the Force to represent the community they serve.

And so the Police Force is the reflection of the community in Solomon Islands, Mr Varley said.

“We work very hard on the recruitment we work very hard on making sure our officers are available to meet and work with women in the community on issues affecting women and girls,” Varley said.

He said violence against women and girls is a significant problem and far too high in Solomon Islands and not only women but also men to take a leading role to end such activities happening in the community.

Varley said it is sad to see that cases of family and gender based violence in Solomon Islands are still high and police are too often called to cases where women and girls have been injured or harmed by men.

“And as you have heard me said this before really this has to stop.

“So our message today from the RSIPF your police are there to protect and serve the community and in particular we are here to protect women and girls across Solomon Islands and we are committed to doing that and we are committed to making sure we can do our part as best we can to make women and girls safe in our country,” Varley said..

He also urges the people of Solomon Islands that police alone cannot do that but needs all people across Solomon Islands to get behind them and work together with them to end violence.

“We need strong men to stand up and say enough is enough,” Varley said.