By Alfred Sasako

A NORTH-WEST Choiseul housewife may have cracked the recruitment code in getting into the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) allegedly without the prerequisite requirements.

The mother of five has reportedly been “shortlisted” to undertake a series of tests which would determine whether she is qualified to be in uniform.

Her inclusion on the shortlist has prompted questions about her qualifications as well as the potential to undermine maintaining the minimum entry level into the RSIPF.

“As far as we know, she only completed Grade Six. We also know that whoever put her on the shortlist had bypassed the prerequisites requirements for everyone who wants to join the RSIPF.

“These include fitness test, which requires potential candidates to run an X-number of kilometres within a set time,” one Choiseul man from the woman’s village told Island Sun last night.

“We don’t believe she has completed the fitness test and other prerequisite requirements before being shortlisted,” the individual said.

He said the woman’s name is now on the shortlist of more than 1, 000 candidates being posted at Kukum Police Station, Central Police Station and Police Headquarters, Rove among others.

“Her selection has raised a lot of questions about the due process. It has also raised questions about maintaining the minimum entry requirement into the RSIPF.

“We believe the minimum education entry level in RSIPF is Form 5 and 6,” one informant told Island Sun.

“Her entry on the shortlist is a clear case of corruption in the RSIPF. We demand that this matter be investigated,” they said.

Island Sun was unable to get a comment from the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force media.

By Mike Puia

AUSTRALIA needs more locals to work in its horticulture farms.

AgricSolutions, a seasonal worker agent for the Australian Seasonal Worker Programme (ASWP) which was approved by the government to recruit locals to work in Australia, indicated that at the moment it looks to recruit over 20 more workers.

Those who are interested in working under this programme must have clear record with the police, healthy and fit (medical check by approved doctor), over 21 years, have a passport and has an intention to enter Australia for work and return to the country after his or her employment ends.

Workers traveling to Australia under this programme are required to work for 30 hours work per week. Most workers AgricSolutions recruited work as apple fruit pickers.

AgricSolutions confirmed it will increase its recruitment as time goes on.

AgricSolutions’ announcement of its plan to do a recruitment exercise this week has attracted more locals to inquire. There is an information session proposed to be held in Honiara tomorrow.

Workers needed in this recruitment round will work in banana and citrus farms.

Interviews will be conducted on Wednesday, February 28 and Thursday, March 1, at the Labour Mobility Unit at Rove.

By Gary Hatigeva

THE government has proposed $40 Million for the re-establishment of the Development Bank of Solomon Islands (DSBI), it is revealed in their recently launched policy document

The allocation comes following cost assessment carried out by a taskforce, determining how much capital was needed for the bank to be fully operational, along with a national awareness and consultation programme on the changes.

With little time left before the 10th Parliament is dissolved, the newly elected Solomon Islands Democratic Coalition for Change Government (SIDCCG) has been forced to come up with a set of priority areas within its attractive policy statement and the re-establishment has made the list.

The re-establishment of the Rural Development Bank while revealed to be one of the key priorities, it seemed to have drawn the highest allocation in the government’s 2018 Budget.

Parliament is expected to meet on the 28th of this month, and having this reinstatement will also need the blessing of members of parliament.

As outlined in its policy priorities, strategic actions and outcomes document, the government through the Ministry of Finance and Treasury is taking up the initiative, modeling it under its Public Private Partnership (PPP) Framework.

The Hou-led government is optimistic that this institute (DBSI) if re-established, is one avenue that will help Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), which will have both direct and indirect positive impact on the national economy of the country.

The government is expected to get the DBSI Act back into parliament for its enactment and have the bank launched.

The development bank stopped operating more than a decade ago following civil unrest which resulted in mass loan defaults.

By Taromane Martin

THE D-Fenders 2018 Tip-Off Basketball challenge kicked off yesterday at the Multipurpose Hall.

Eleven matches took place yesterday and saw powerhouses Marist and Gunners cementing their position on the table after two wins in the men’s division while Defenders also picked up double wins in the women’s division.

Organizers say the basketball competition will continue this Sunday with the final pool matches before the competition heads for the play off.

“Week one will consist of round-robin play with teams in their allocated pools. Then in week two playoffs will be held to determine the winners, “ organisers said.

“All participating teams are guaranteed a minimum of three games across the two weekends.

“Games are played in 2 x 10 minute halves, with the last 2 minutes fully-timed and a 24 shot clock in play.

“In addition there will be some modified scoring rules, with dunks being awarded three points and shots from outside the regulation three point arc instead being worth four points,” it adds.

Meanwhile results from yesterday’s basketball challenge are as follows:

Women

El Divas defeated Sunrise 24-18 lost to Defenders 19-16

Defenders beat Sunrise 24-18 and also defeated Divas 19-16

Sunrise- lost to El Divas 19-16 and lost to Defenders 24-18.

Men

Marist defeated Snakes 24-20 and SOSSA 45-12

Ronkay Knights lost 35-12 to Gunners but defeated Crusaders 30-27

Gunnerz defeated Pinoy 27-16 and also Ronkay Knights 27-16

SOSSA lost 45-12 to Marist and lost to Canberra Cannons.

Canberra Cannons- defeated SOSSA and also defeated Snakes

Pinoy defeated Crusaders 24-19 and lost to Gunners 27-16.

Snakes lost to Marist 24-20 and also to Canberra Cannons.

By Mike Puia

THE Ombudsman office has announced the commencement of the new Ombudsman Act 2017 on January 31, 2018 after parliament passage in July 2017.

Announcing the new Act commencement at a press conference yesterday, the Ombudsman, Mr Fred Fakari’i said members of the public can now raise complaints of maladministrative conducts by any government agency, ministry or department or contractor to his office for investigation.

Fakari’i said he believes the new Act will help curb corruption in general.

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

Auki

The Environment Division and its sub provincial office in Auki have been criticised for failure to carry out environment assessment on logging operations in Malaita province.

A Mr Aloysio Arukeni said people suffer environmentally as the result of operations in the province.

“Pollution to rivers, streams, damage of fertile lands and vegetations and the list goes.

“People suffer, and with that they have right to claim the environmental damage that affects them and their environment.

“Along that line if people pursuing the damage, they need proper assessment from environment division so it can produce them report.

“And the report must not made upon assumption as what usually experience, report must made upon assessment on the ground.”

Arukeni said this is what should happen, so that the status of the damage can be known and plan can design to deal with it.

He said what currently experience was even no assessment on the ground, the assessment report can be made.

“I wonder what the report would like, but that clearly shows the report was just made upon assumption of the officers.

“When reports are conducted that way, the interest of people suffered from the damage is less accounted whilst only saves the ones will be affected by the report.

“This is what happens and it needs changes both for producing assumption reports and luck of ground assessment,” he said.

Arukeni reiterated his appeal that the Environment Division and its sub provincial office in Auki must stride with their work in the province.