SOLOMON Islands new Prime Minister has said his government will not forget its traditional development partners and seek to work ever closely with them in seeing to the needs of the nation.

 The Solomon Islands must improve its renewable energy sources and I would request the Prime Minister to be mindful that over a weekend in 2015, 14 Pacific nations met in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan for a summit on the subject of renewable energy.

 At that summit, the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, pledged to give its island neighbours enough solar power to light up thousands of homes.

 Mr. Modi, said on that occasion, “We now commit to provide solar electrification to 2,800 homes – 200 in each Pacific Island country. This will save kerosene worth abbot $1 million.”

 Outlying his ideas the Indian Prime Minister explained his plan was to help the smaller nations deal with the effects of climate change in the coming decades.

 Mr. Modi also mentioned that India would also work with researchers in the Pacific nations to provide better human resources and technologies to deal with natural disaster management with early warning and response systems.

 India has had diplomatic relations with the Solomon Islands since May 1987 and relations are friendly with political interaction between the two nations very comprehensive.

 In the most recent past India has offered some 15 scholarships to the Solomon Island under Technical Cooperation Programs and also offered grants for a range of social programs as well as giving some US$50,000 during the deadly floods that raged through Honiara in 2014.

 As the relations with India are on a sound footing and the new government in the Solomon Islands is keen to maintain its ties with its traditional donor partners, I would urge the PM to seek assurances from the Indian Government when the 200 homes in the Solomon Islands will be provided with lighting as promised by Prime Minister Modi.

 Yours sincerely

 Frank Short

THE Solomon Islands has a new Prime Minister and a newly constituted body of Ministers to govern the nation until the next general election in 2018.

Much is expected of the government given the relative poor state of the economy, the high rate of unemployment, perceptions over corruption, deficiencies in the education and health sectors, almost stagnant infrastructure development, gender inequality climate change and environmental issues affecting livelihoods and food security in the rural parts of the country, to name put a few of the challenges the new administration must tackle.

I wish the government well and hope to see change, soon, in fiscal control and particularly in rapid aid to the health sector and in the provision of basic health services.

Prior to the election of the Prime Minister last Wednesday, the SIBC issued rather a stern warning which read, in part,  “Now or never: this has to be the theme for the election of the new Prime Minister.”

“If our MPs do not get it right this time; if they don’t exercise good judgment to correct all their previous errors; if they don’t put the interests of their people and country first – then they and their successors will never be able to look after this country.”

When I read the SIBC’s statement, I was reminded of one of the themes in Charles Dickens’s book ‘Great Expectations’ which referred to moral regeneration when one of the book’s characters started climbing the social ladder, gained wealth and  followed this by a degradation of his integrity

With all the talk of corruption in the Solomon Islands it is imperative that the country’s new leaders render significant services to the people in the areas of education, anti-corruption, health, ethics, judicial responsibility, rule of law, democracy and good governance.

In this age of increasing globalization, I believe the government must reflect on the nation’s journey so far, so the country can do better in the future and leave a better legacy for posterity.

This brings me to the topic of nation building and the new government must give added consideration to nation building which is always a work-in-progress needing nurturing and re-invention.  Nation building is about building a common sense of purpose and strengthening those institutions which symbolize the political entity and having a common sense of purpose, having a sense of a shared destiny and a collective imagination of belonging.

The political game play of the last few weeks underscores my points and adds weight to the view that a viable nation must be synonymous with achieving modernity and have institutions and values which sustain the collective community in these modern times.

I have no right or authority to express what Solomon Islanders expect of their leaders but having been a very close observers of events and happenings in the Solomon Islands for the past 20 years,  I have a fair estimation of what the expectations might be and here are a few thoughts.

Leaders must be committed to the rule of law and have a demonstrated sense of fairplay, vision, ability, integrity and can see beyond the ostentatious pomp of office.

Leaders are not wanted who have no sense of tomorrow, other than that of their bank accounts.

Leaders who lead by deeds and not by words, achievers, not deceivers.

Leaders that will leave their foot prints on the sands of time and leaders who will live forever in the hearts of Solomon Islanders.

Yours sincerely

Frank Short

Dear Editor,

FOLLOWING closely on his election victory in the Solomon Islands to become the new Prime Minister, the Hon. Rick Houenipwela says one of his Government’s immediate tasks is to reopen closed clinics around the country.

Prime Minister Houenipwela said his Government will work closely with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services to reopen the clinics.

“One of our immediate tasks is to work with the ministries, and especially the Ministry of Health, to identify clinics around the country that have been forced to close down with the view to reopen them,” he said.

“It goes without saying that it is the responsibility of the Government to provide basic health services and, indeed, all other basic services to its citizens, especially in the rural areas.”

As I have consistently reported it is widely known that most, if not all, of the country’s 344 rural health clinics are run down and many needing urgent repairs and renovations in order to function effectively to serve the health needs of great numbers of local people.

The situation at Tatamba in Isabel Province, in the Reef Islands in Malaita, the Western province and on Savo Island is bordering on critical and many in the community are having to go without medical care or faced with travelling huge distances by canoe, as is the situation at Tatamba, to reach a clinic where they can get treatment.

At the National Referral Hospital the rehabilitation workshop that was previously used to manufacture and custom fit prosthetic limbs has been abandoned due to white and termite infestations.

There are said to be more than 400 former patients of the NRH awaiting artificial limbs after succumbing to diabetes and having undergone amputations.

I would please urge Prime Minister Houenipwela and the new SIG government to include the full restoration of the NRH’s rehabilitation workshop when getting to grips with rebuilding or fully renovating the rural health clinics.

I  would also request the Prime Minister to ensure when dealing with either re-building or restoration programmes that power facilities are provided at each of the rural clinics , whether by solar panels, diesel engines or, if possibly, by connection to the electrical grid.

It is well know that in some rural clinics doctors are having to perform surgical operations by the use of kerosene lamps and flash lights.

Toilet facilities must also be provided at rural clinics where such do not exist and hygiene and sanitary facilities restored at those clinics where toilets have not been repaired for a long period of time.

To carry out the work of  restoring basic health facilities the SIG might need the help of its traditional donor partners from the region and it would be my wish that it be fully recognised the work needed is worth supporting and help be forthcoming from Solomon Islands’ friends.

Yours sincerely

Frank Short