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Reach Consultancy continues with its cattle vaccination

Written by
Samie Waikori
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Cattle farm

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

REACH Consultancy group recently carried out vaccination on cattle farms along Kwaiba’ita River in East Kwaio.

The vaccination rollout is part of the whole initiative by Reach Consultancy aiming at producing quality cattle for market and local consumption.

Director of the Consultancy group, Mr Freddrick Faabasua said last week a Reach team visited cattle farmers along Kwaiba’ita River and vaccinated around 110 cattle.

He said the number of cattle vaccinated is roughly around 300-400 cattle along Kwaiba’ita River raised by individual farmers.

Faabasua said due to shortage of vaccines they could not cover the rest; however, arrangements have been made with a supplier overseas to supply drugs to continue with the programme.

He said drugs will be ready soon but that will be mostly for the second dose roll-out for farmers that they had visited with the first dose of the roll-out.

Faabasua said so far up to 180 cattle have taken the first dose and they are ready for the second dose, which will be in a couple of weeks’ time.

He said since the start of the roll out, they have visited parts of central and eastern regions of the province include Dala, Nambaula, Faarau, and farmers in West Kwaio and Kwaiba’ita in the east.

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MPG eager to back Malaitans in the productive sector

Written by
Samie Waikori
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Former Malaita Premier, Daniel Suidani

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

PREMIER Daniel Suidani says the Malaita provincial government is keen to support and encourage Malaitans to venture into productive sector in the province.

In an interview with SunAuki, he said there are lots of talented Malaitans out there as well as many potential areas to explore and do business in the province.

Suidani said along that rationale, MPG has been supporting the Reach Consultancy – a Malaitan established group with little they could towards their cattle vaccination programme in the province.    

Similarly, he said MPG has also supported Reef Solomon through a fisheries project at Malu’u provincial sub-centre.

Adding that MPG would also like to see cooperation from Malaitans to go into other areas or sectors of business to boost development in Malaita province.

Suidani said MPG like other provincial government are public institution that cannot run businesses only services, but they want to support Malaitans to venture into businesses in the province.

And MPG has been providing supports in what they could do under their capacity to support Malaitans into the productive sectors in the province, he said

Suidani said with that MPG would like to encourage Malaitans to come back and discover many areas of development to support the province.

He reiterated that MPG is eager to work with developments partners and even interested Malaitans to see the growth of productive sectors in Malaita province.   

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National development strategy to be reviewed

Written by
Eddie Osifelo
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Minister of National Planning and Development Coordination Rexon Ramofafia.

By EDDIE OSIFELO

MINISTRY of National Planning and Development Coordination will be undertaking a review of the National Development Strategy, the NDS 2016 – 2035 in early 2023.

Rexon Ramofafia confirmed this during his debate on the 2023 Appropriation Bill 2022 in Parliament on Thursday December 8.

“This review is important sir, as we have now reached a midpoint in the timeframe of implementation and it is important to take stock of how we have progressed implementation and advanced national development objectives,” he said.

More so, Ramofafia said covid 19 and the recent domestic and global disruptions have affected our context and greatly changed the environment and dynamics for national sustainable development.

“It is therefore necessary for us to take stock and recalibrate.

“I wish to thank UNDP through the Governance for Resilience Project and New Zealand for committing to support us in this important activity,” he added.

Apart from the, Solomon Islands has delayed its graduation out of Least Developed Countries category earmarked for 2024.

Ramofafia said “given the shocks that we have experienced and their implications on our ability to ensure a smooth transition and preparations to put us on a sustainable footing as we progress out of LDC category, the government has invoked with the relevant UN agency, the crisis response mechanism and requested for an assessment of the impacts of the covid pandemic, the recent riots and the flow through impacts of the Russia/Ukraine war on our ability to sustainably graduate.”

He said a United Nations Inter Agency Task Force is on the ground undertaking consultations as part of this assessment with a view to providing government with key evidence to inform how we proceed with the important issue of LDC graduation.

ALL EYES ON $4.6B

Written by
Eddie Osifelo
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Minister of Finance and Treasury Harry Kuma

By EDDIE OSIFELO

PARLIAMENT started scrutinising the $4.6 billion budget for 2023 in the Committee of Supply.

This after members of both the Opposition and Government completed their debates from Monday to Thursday on December 5 to 8.

All have pledged their support behind the 2023 Appropriation Bill 2022 in their debates even though some members of the Opposition have questioned its credibility.

The theme of the 2023 Budget, “Iumi Together moving Solomon Islands forward”.

Minister of Finance and Treasury, Harry Kuma reiterated the need for unity, in order to the overcome the development challenges faced by the country.

The development challenges were further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, November 2021 riots and the Ukraine war.

Kuma said the number-one priority now is to rebuild the economy.

He said this is why the 2023 budget is not a ‘business as usual budget’ but a historical budget with a deficit to accommodate once in a lifetime Pacific Games next year.

Kuma said a deficit budget is not a bad thing but how you channel the funds is important in order to finance the deficit.

He said the Government will fund the deficits from:

  1. general supports from Development partners for an amount of $320 million;
  2. issue of SIG Development bonds and expects to raise $400 million from that;
  3. arrange for external borrowings,
  4. rolling over unspent development funds to next year and
  5. additional revenue policy measures.

In addition, Minister of Minister of National Planning and Development Coordination, Rexson Ramofafia said as Minister Kuma alluded to in his speech, whilst delivering the 2023 budget, the economy contracted by 4.5% in 2022.

He said inflation rose to 2.7%, in large part owing to high global fuel prices as a result of the Russia Ukraine war.

“Production and international trade have been affected as indicated by declines in exports and resultantly declines in our trade balance.

“These are but general economic indicators,” he said.

Ramofafia said the flow through impacts on people’s wellbeing and livelihoods have also been felt.

“It is very important for us to respond accordingly and implement measures that ensure that our country recovers and continues to grow, and that our people people’s wellbeing and livelihoods is protected. “Despite a challenging global and domestic environment and context, we must continue to maintain the focus on advancing our country and moving our people forward,” he added.

MPA calls on government to hasten making Copen illegal

Written by
Irwin Angiki
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Copen Drug. Photo Supplied.Photo By SOLOMON TIMES ONLINE.

BY IRWIN ANGIKI

The former provincial ward member for Wagina, Ward 1 Choiseul province is calling on the national government to hasten making the so-called new drug – Copen illegal.

Mofete Tupou, while welcoming Health Minister Culwick Togamana introducing the Copen issue into parliament early this week, believes that time is a crucial factor.

Wagina school teacher Mr Eribati also supports this call, saying he has witnessed his students’ academic performance dragged down by Copen.

And, a Solomon Islander living in Kiribati warns the Copen problem can get ‘very serious’ if government overlooks it.

A community leader’s dilemma

One obstacle handicapping leaders from stopping Copen usage and production in their communities is Copen not yet being nationally recognised as an illegal entity, or even as a drug, Mr Tupou said.

He shares that Copen is normalised in his community, Wagina – it is sold and consumed openly by both children and adults.

Tupou says he has received stiff resistance from many in his community when he voiced plans to create a by-law against Copen.

“Early this year, I shared my plan to create a by-law targeting the production and usage of Copen and received hostile reception from a lot of my people here, including parents, relatives of users and producers, even elders of the communities here.

“In our deliberations and arguments over the Copen issue, I always end up cornered without any answer when they ask me if Copen is illegal.

“They have a valid point because Copen is not illegal, and this is because it has not yet fully caught the attention of the national government and relevant authorities.

“But, I am saying that now is the time to act. Monday this week the Health Minister introduced Copen to the parliament. What we would like to hear next is it has been gazetted as an illegal entity.”

Tupou says it is difficult to remove Copen from his community because a ‘majority’ of people on Wagina use the substance, more so, many rely on it as an income earner.

A teacher’s sad observation

Eribati, with 20 years of teaching experience, says students using Copen are lagging behind in their education compared to those who are not users.

He said since 2018 when he first saw Copen in his community, he has seen bright students slide down the academic ladder once they got hooked to Copen.

“It had struck me that some of my top students started performing low, and later I would learn that they were addicted to the new drug that we were just starting to experience in 2018.

“Following years, this sad trend continued and grew worse as more students became hooked to Copen. Now, my top students are those that do not indulge in Copen use.

“In class it is very clear. Student users would become restless and agitated after the first period, and would excuse themselves to visit the loo, but we all know that they are going out for a Copen dose.

“When I tried suggesting banning Copen to be included in school rules, I met resistance from other parents, guardians and other staff. Their main argument is Copen is not illegal according to Solomon Islands laws.

“So, I took it upon myself to make it my classroom rule. I told students that I will not tolerate Copen in my class.

“Government should make it a law to ban Copen, its use and production, so that it will enable us to incorporate it into our school rule.”

Grim warning from Kiribati

Tupou says Copen was introduced into the country by Kiribati Solomon Islanders who travelled over to mainland Kiribati and brought back the substance plus the idea to produce it with them.

He puts this around 2017.

A Solomon Islander living in Kiribati who asks only to be named as Mary warns the Copen problem must not be taken lightly.

Speaking to Island Sun this week, she said in Kiribati ‘Couben’ [Copen] is rife and is recognised by communities there that it is a problem, allowed to reach an uncontrollable stage by authorities who had overlooked it.

“I am not sure if it is illegal or not. One thing for sure is although it is very common here, people deal it under cover.

“Users range from children to adults. While it is a stimulant that can be used in kava sessions, and other social gatherings, Couben has been blamed for low school performance of children, domestic violence, petty domestic nuisance such as stealing, health problems, and is also rumoured to be the cause behind some oral cancer cases here.

“Solomon Islands is still at the stage in which it can turn the tide on Couben. But it would mean national government and relevant authorities step in and make the necessary legislations, and fast.

“Do not leave communities, families and individuals to fight it alone,” Mary warns.

Meanwhile, Island Sun had reported in early November on the extent of Copen’s spread in the country.

Apart from Temotu and Makira-Ulawa provinces, Copen has penetrated schools and communities across the country.

In Honiara, where Copen is reportedly most prevalent, even prestigious Government and church-run schools are facing challenges with the substance.

In Renbel province, it was reported that Copen is suspected to be connected to the death of a youth earlier this year.

Mass disciplinary suspension of students has been reported across many of Honiara’s city council and government schools. In the Western province, a similar situation was reported in one of the major schools there earlier this year.

The ministry of women and youth (MWYCFA) had told Island Sun that government’s approach was to leave the Copen problem to be dealt with at the family and community level. [This is bound to change after the Ministry of Health (MHMS) announced in parliament it would investigate Copen]

Police has also admitted that they cannot do much except do community awareness because Copen is not recognised by law to be a drug, nor an illegal one.

Copen is taken orally, and is produced using household items such as colgate and food colouring.

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Information is power! Solomon Islands needs a freedom of information law ASAP

Written by
Ofani Eremae
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Corruption-Activity-Youth-Anti-Corruption-and-Integrity-Dialogue

More than 100 years ago, an American Supreme Court judge reflected on corruption and transparency and proclaimed that “sunlight is the best disinfectant”. These words still hold true today. Shining a light on corruption – exposing it to the world – is the best way of trying to make sure that corrupt people cannot get away with their dodgy conduct by hiding their actions.

In practice, one of the best ways of shining sunlight on corrupt practices is through a public right to information. The right to information (RT)), or freedom of information (FOI) as it is referred to in some countries, refers to the right of all persons to access information held by public bodies. In Solomon Islands, Article 12 of the National Constitutions provides for the freedom to receive and communicate ideas and information without interference, as part of the right to freedom of expression.

Article 12 of our Constitution reflects the principle that all information held by governments and public institutions is public information that should be freely available and should only be withheld from the public for legitimate reasons. By giving the public the RIGHT to receive information about the public money the Government spends, the contracts it enters into, and the services it provides, the public – and the media – can use that information to hold officials accountable for their conduct.

The right to information is globally recognized as an integral part of the fundamental right to freedom of expression. This right can be found in article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The UN Sustainable Development Goals recognize this explicitly – SDG-16, Target 16.10 calls on all governments to “ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements”. Article 10 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption also requires States parties to take measures to enhance transparency in public administration, including information on its organization, functioning and decision-making processes.

More than 125 countries around the world have some form of FOI law, which allows the public to access government information and requires government bodies to proactively and regularly publish certain types of information. In the Pacific, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Palau and Vanuatu have passed FOI laws, while the Federated States of Micronesia and Papua New Guinea have developed a draft FOI law and policy respectively, which are currently under review.

Solomon Islands has been considering FOI legislation for more than a decade, in order to operationalise the fundamental right that is already found in Article 12 of our National Constitution. In 2008, the Solomon Islands Ombudsman co-hosted a Regional FOI Meeting for Pacific Policy-Makers in Honiara, in partnership with UNDP and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. Since that time, the Office of the Ombudsman has spear-headed efforts to work with other Government partners to develop a policy or draft law that will enshrine a right to information for all Solomon Islanders and impose duties on Government bodies to regularly publish information such as their budget and expenditures, contracts with third parties, grants and other government funding allocated to partners, project implementation reports, and the like.

On Friday, the world will celebrate International Anti-Corruption Day (IACD) which is commemorated on 9 December. IACD is not just a day of celebration but a day of action – an opportunity to reflect on what needs to be done to stop corruption in Solomon Islands.

One very practical approach is to pass an FOI Act as a matter of priority. To that end, the National Parliament and Provincial Assemblies are encouraged to work with the Ombudsman, and other anti-corruption offices such as the new Solomon Islands Independent Commission Against Corruption (SIICAC) and the Office of the Auditor General, to push forward with the current draft FOI Bill that the Ombudsman has been working on for many years. Members of the public can also call on leaders to make this right a reality.

Public information collected with public money for public purposes should be accessible by the public! Every person has a right to know what is being done by their government – an FOI law can make that a reality and is long overdue for Solomon Islands people.

BY THE OFFICE OF OMBUDSMAN

Police: no arrest on north Guale burning incident

Written by
Jennifer Kusapa
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BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

POLICE confirmed on December 8 that they are yet to make any arrest relating to the burning incident at Valuado village, north Guadalcanal on December 3.

However, police say suspects have been identified.

Police in an earlier statement said officers at Tetere police station are investigating the case.

The statement said the motive behind the arson incident is related to land and property which both parties had pursued over ownership rights.

Police call on the parties to refrain from taking any further retaliation but allow police to deal with the case.

Police also said that it is a really sad incident where the victims fled from their homes with only the clothes they wore. They returned only to find their homes and properties burned to ashes.

Police are working closely with responsible stakeholders for assistance where required.

Forest ministry looks forward to fulfilling two 2022 DCGA objectives

Written by
Eddie Osifelo
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MP for Savo/Russell Dickson Mua and Minister for Ministry of Forestry and Research.

By EDDIE OSIFELO

MINISTRY of Forest and Research is still looking forward to implementing the two Redirection Policy Area Objectives of DCGA for 2022.

They are:

  1. Downstream Processing Programme
  2. Sustainable Logging Development Programme

Speaking Parliament yesterday on the 2023 Appropriation Bill 2022, Minister for MFR, Dickson Mua Panakitasi said that will continue into 2023.

He said this should contribute to the national economy and revenue generation to support the SIG Budget and that should continue to address the rural livelihoods and health of our people.

Mua said Under the Downstream Processing Programme, the Ministry is to establishing a Timber Yard at Noro to support resource owners, who want to export sawn timber from Western and Choiseul Provinces.

He said currently the architectural drawings have been completed.

“BOQ completed and paid.

“Contractor determined,” he said.

Mua said just waiting for Solomon Islands Ports Authority (SIPA) approval of the Proposal of the Timber yard and release of a site at Noro Port area at Noro.

“To meet an Auditor who would be auditing the SITPEA members annually on their operations in search for FSC Group Certificate so that sawn timber can be purchased at higher prices.

“To support freight subsidy by VATA members to transport sawn timber to Honiara Henderson Timber Yard for drying, packaging and then export,” he said.

“We have completed the improvement work at the Henderson Timber Yard and the Fencing of the Botanical Garden,” he added.

Furthermore, under the Sustainable Logging Development Programme, Mua said his Ministry is going to implement the: – completion of the review of the Forest Resources and Timber Utilization Act.

“To date, we have received parts of the Forestry Bill and already had exchanges with AG Chambers on queries.

“I believe the Forestry Bill will be brought before the Parliament in Year 2023 as 2022 is coming to its end shortly. This is a one-off activity,” he added.

Further to that, Mua said monitoring of round log shipments support the partnership project with the IFMP (Integrated Forest Management Project) in 5 different Sites in 5 different Provinces across the country on establishing protected areas and establishment of nurseries.

“Procurement of boats for monitoring, – Relocation/transfer of 25,000 plus plant specimen from Fiji to Honiara national Herbarium around mid-2023.

“Supporting national reforestation programme – establishing REDD+ Policy and REDD+ Regulation

“Construction of plant drying shed attached to the National Herbarium,” he said.

Isabel without PPC

Written by
Jennifer Kusapa
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Police Commissioner Mostyn Mangau.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

Chiefs in Isabel province have raised concern over the long delay of the Provincial Police Commander position in the province.

One of the village chiefs George Basil said policing in Isabel is poor, reports forwarded from the communities to Buala police fall on deaf ears; thus the Isabel police needs a leader that is active and recognises issues affecting communities.

Basil calls on the Police Commissioner to quickly deal with the issue and send the right person to the position.

Meanwhile Police Commissioner Mostyn Mangau assured the Isabel people that once formalities are finalised, police will send the person to head Isabel police.

He said currently an acting PPC is there and he is mandated to take control of the office according to the Police Act.

He said they are still waiting on the Police and Prison Service for endorsement and as soon as that process is done, then arrangements will be done for the new PPC.

Magistrate talks out against stealing

Written by
Jennifer Kusapa
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BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

PRINCIPAL Magistrate Leonard Chite has reminded citizens that there is no gain in using one’s position to illegally acquire Constituency funds for personal gain.

He made the statement when sentencing the former Constituency Development Officer of Temotu Nende.

Chite said everyone makes mistakes, but it takes the wise to learn and take constructive steps and measures to become a better person.

“If anything that I must strongly emphasize on is learn to appreciate what is genuinely acquired that what is pleasing but unlawful for every work of the hands will soon be revealed and when they do bad works normally attracts severe punishments.

“I hereby make bold to state that those who find passion in stealing from the government or acquiring monies from abuse of positions are journey bound to prison. There is more to life that indulging oneself in act of official corruption,” Chite said.

Chite explained that the offence of official corruption is very serious, in that the defendant was vested with responsibility to look after and administer constituency Development fund for the Constituency. Clearly, the role encompassed, although indirectly, looking after the welfare and financial limitations, as well as the greater need of the less fortunate, including other community-based development plans.

He adds acquiring that money in the guise of financing a housing scheme project for his own family is an outright disrespect, breach of trust and lack of empathy to those he promised to se

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