THE Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) has killed over 27 crocodiles since the rearmament of the Force in May 2017 until the second week of this month.

“Since the Police Response Team (PRT) was re-armed in May 2017, RSIPF has conducted several operations to manage the crocodile population throughout the country. These operations are conducted following requests from communities after they sight the reptiles in their areas,” says Supervising Director of the National Response Department, Superintendent, Rex Waiwori.

Since May of last year until last week, the PRT has conducted the following operations in certain parts of the country and killed the following number of crocodiles:

West Are’Are, Malaita Province – seven; Logohuta, in the Isabel Province – one; Kobulota, Isabel Province – three; Vona Vona Lagoon, Western Province – two; Kolombangara, Western Province – six ; Marau, in Guadalcanal Province – four; Central Islands Province – three; Vona Vona, Western Province – one.

“I wish to thank members of the community for their cooperation in assisting the PRT operations in trying to control the population of these reptiles in our country.

“Crocodiles are a danger to the lives of our people so the RSIPF is doing all it can to control any increase in their population,” says Superintendent Waiwori.

“I appeal to our communities to report to your nearest police or contact the Police Communication Centre on 23666 or the police toll free 999, any sighting of crocodiles in your areas.”

–POLICE MEDIA

BY JARED KOLI

THE Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) will soon carry out a nation-wide beche-de-mer stock assessment baseline survey to identify the current situation of beche-de-mer in the country.

Director of Fisheries Edward Honiwala in a phone interview yesterday said this is under the ministry’s work programme planned for this year.

Mr Honiwala said a baseline survey will be carried out to identified locations across the country to look at the general situation of the sea cucumber.

“At the end of the stock assessment survey, results will be drawn to make comparisons to assist the ministry on future decision making.

“Any decision to re-open the beche-de-mer harvest period in the future must be scientific based,” said Honiwala.

He said this will help the ministry in future decision making on reopening the harvest period of the product.

Honiwala said the problem encountered at this harvest period was that resource owners have no control rule or regulations on their resources.

“As resource owners, they should have certain control measures imposed on the extraction of their resource,” said Honiwala.

He said the ministry has control restriction on sizes of beche-de-mer but resource owners have been found to have no control on their resource.

Honiwala said when to start the survey, depends on the ministry’s work programme and budget.

“We will then do follow up survey after every two to three years, because as we had also found out, stock on high valued species has gone low over these four months harvest period because many people go for them,” Honiwala said.

He called on resource owners to manage the extraction of their resource for future generations.

“Imposing strict control measure is the first thing resource owners should do. The ministry has a requirement on the size of beche-de-mer harvested. This means only those that are fit to be harvested will be considered,” he said.

THE Police National Traffic Department reports a slight drop in the number of reported traffic cases in Honiara during the first few weeks of January 2018.

“This is a very good outcome,” says Supervising Director of the Traffic Department, Staff Sergeant George Mouli.

“During the first week of January 2018, we recorded a total of 49 cases mostly being for unlicensed motor vehicles followed by permitting unlicensed motor vehicle, careless driving and presence of alcohol in person’s blood.

“During the second week, we recorded only 23 cases and last week we recorded only 14 cases.

“Throughout the past weeks my officers have also been working alongside Honiara City Council (HCC) Law enforcers in an operation to ensure that drivers have valid licences, vehicles are registered, insured and are road worthy and that the traffic rules are observed.

“I want to thank drivers and vehicle owners for their co-operation throughout the past weeks, my hardworking officers and law enforcers at the HCC in ensuring that safety on our roads are our top priority.

“I want to urge vehicle owners and drivers to comply with Traffic regulations and ensure your vehicles are registered, your employees must have valid driving licences and your vehicles must be road worthy. Permitting the use of unlicensed motor vehicles is a punishable offence under the Road and Transport Act.”

–POLICE MEDIA

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

FIRST focussing on to assist scholarships with are untrained teachers said Central Islands Province (CIP) Provincial Premier Hon Patrick Vasuni.

This is to clarify confusion in CIP over which type of students is the Provincial Government eyeing to assist first to study at the Solomon Islands National University (SINU).

The Provincial Government of CIP is currently eyeing to assist with scholarships for its citizens wishing to do studies at SINU.

This is once the province receives the 2018-2019 budgets soon.

Hon Vasuni said they will start with untrained teachers of the province who need to have qualifications which will be a boost for the education development of the province.

It is understood that those who wish for funding their tuition fees and so can seek through the Education Division at Tulaghi for assistance.

BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO

THE general public has been urged to respect the country’s paper currencies that are circulated in the country.

The call was raised following repeated malpractice by the general public in squeezing and at times writing on dollar notes.

It is highlighted that such practice contributes to the bad looking local currency especially 10 dollars, five dollars and 20 dollars note.

When contacted yesterday the Media Officer of Central Bank of Solomon Islands (CBSI’s) Mr Uriel Matanani said there is no new regulation within CBSI law to address such issues but CBSI will continue carry out their ongoing awareness programme.

He said the ongoing awareness are focused on counterfeiting money, its penalties and introducing of newly change notes.

Matanani said awareness programmes are carried through radio programmes, visit to schools and provinces.

He explained that the programmes are carried out by Currency and Banking Department of CBSI.

In the meantime Matanani advised that attitude problem is the main cause of the issues and that public must practice the use of purse to maintain the quality of notes.

BY BEN BILUA

CIVIL Society Group, Media, Parliamentarian and the government must be well-prepared to implement the Anti-Corruption Bill when it becomes law.

This was the message highlighted by UNDP’s Anti-Corruption Consultant Mr John Hyde during his meeting with the Media Association of Solomon Islands (MASI) last week.

He stressed that stakeholders and the media must be trained to get better understanding on their respective roles as whistle blowers.

Hyde strongly emphasised that providing training for stakeholders including the media on their roles to report Anti-Corruption Bill is the best way forward to execute the implementation of the proposed Act.

“One of the big problem in anti-corruption is that, everyone must be part of the team and everybody must be informed of what is inside of the legislation.

“Mainstream media is still healthy in the Solomon Islands and that equipping the media with law to protect the industry as well as training is very important,” he said.

Hyde adds that it will be a bonus for the media and stakeholders to tackle corruption if the whistle Blowers Bill is legislated.

He advises MASI to look for resources to facilitate trainings for journalist in the country.

Hyde informs MASI that there will be a training on corruption in Tonga this year and it is important for MASI to send representatives to attend the training.

In the meantime he said local journalist can use the resources outlined in the United Nation Convention against Corruption where Solomon Islands is a party, to report corruption.

Hyde advised local journalists that the convention provides important resources that media can use to make sure government and other organisations are held accountable of corruption practices.

“The resources are very important for journalist to look and apply them locally in investigating and reporting corruption practices,” he said.

Hyde stressed that the prediction on the legislations to fight corruption and also laws to protect the media industry looks positive as the Prime Minister Rick Hou, shows support to table the bills to Parliament this year.

He reiterated that Civil Society Group, Media, Parliamentarian and the government must all work together to combat corruption practices in the society.

BY GEORGE MANFORD

AUKI

CHIEFS in central Kwara’ae are calling on their communities to live together in peace.

The call was made after disagreements from the public and communities towards the “kingdom movement” issue over the past two weeks in Auki had caused fear and disagreement in the communities.

The failed promises by the movement had resulted in skirmishes in many villages between disgruntled followers who feel they had been cheated, and between public and followers.

The chiefs said, “Despite our disagreements we are all Malaitans and we will settle our disagreements in peace and harmony so that we will live happily again in our communities.”

The chiefs also made this call after a vehicle was destroyed by a group of men last week, a day after the failed doomsday.

The vehicle was believed to be owned by one of the movement members.

The group destroyed the vehicle’s (a three-tonne truck) tires which in turn caused fear amongst communities.

“The issue of the Kingdom movement must be settled quickly before it worsens and causes disharmony in the communities,” the chiefs said.

THE Parliamentary Opposition has called on the government to make a sufficient budgetary allocation for the Prime Minister’s official residence project in this year’s budget and speed up necessary arrangements for work to begin on the project.

“It is important that a sufficient budgetary allocation is made in the 2018 Budget for the Prime Minister’s official residence project and that relevant ministries speed up work arrangements for the this important project avoid the issue of the Prime Minister living in his private residence or being accommodated in expensive hotels.”

He said the temporary arrangement for the Prime Minister to be accommodated at the Heritage Park Hotel to allow his private residence, where he has been living since his election last November, for renovations to meet security and protocol requirements could have been avoided had successive governments prioritised the Prime Minister’s official residence project.

The Opposition Leader said the Opposition welcomes the Prime Minister’s prudent decision in opting for a reduced $490,000 bid for the renovation works to his private residence over a $2million bid.

He said the Prime Minister has demonstrated commitment to his election promise to ensure fiscal discipline across government sectors and the Opposition commends him for leading by example.

The Opposition Leader added that suitable permanent sites must be allocated for the proposed new Prime Minister’s Official residence together with the proposed Official Residence of the Speaker of Parliament and other constitutional post-holders.

He suggested that the government seriously considers working on a plan to have the Official Residence of the Prime Minister and the principal Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, all housed under one roof.

“This would not only meet security and protocol requirements, but will also serve as a convenient place where important meetings of Cabinet can be held and where the Prime Minister can receive and entertain foreign leaders and dignitaries.

“It will also save the Prime minister precious time that is normally spent navigating through lengthy traffic jams in Honiara. The home can then have historical significance to future generations of Solomon Islanders.

“It is also equally important that the official residence of other constitutional post-holders including the Speaker of National Parliament are built on ideal permanent sites within the crown boundaries to avoid having to relocate these state houses in the future.”

–OPPOSITION PRESS