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First ever high-level PRC visit to SI

Written by
Eddie Osifelo
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China's Foreign Affairs minister Wang Yi

By EDDIE OSIFELO

A BIG Chinese delegation led by its Foreign Affairs minister Wang Yi is expected in Honiara next week in his first ever visit here.

Political sources confirmed this to Island Sun this week.

But they could not say for certain the day of arrival and the official programme.

Sources within the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet say a taskforce is preparing for Wang’s visit.

They say the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is working on the programme before making it public.

The Chinese Embassy in Honiara has not replied to emails sent by Island Sun this week on Wang’s visit.

In Honiara, Wang will meet his counterpart Jeremiah Manele, as well as Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and members of the Cabinet.

Manele and his Permanent Secretary Colin Beck are currently in quarantine following their trip to Fiji and Australia last week, where they travelled to explain the controversial security agreement Honiara signed with Beijing.

One government source told the Australia Broadcasting Corporation last week that while here, Wang would likely sign a host of agreements with Manele.

ABC said it is also possible the minister will formally sign the deeply contentious security pact that has already been agreed to by both Solomon Islands and China.

The news of his visit comes in the wake of a regional meeting on the China-Solomon Islands agreement, which was held at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in Fiji’s capital Suva last Tuesday.

Manele and Police Minister Veke briefed several senior officials and a small number of politicians from Pacific Island countries about the agreement in an effort to calm regional anxieties about its implications.

Upgrade of MSG building underway

Written by
Ben Bilua
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The MSG building in Gizo.

BY BEN BILUA
Gizo

COMMUNITY Access and Urban Services Enhancement Project (CAUSE) has begun the upgrading work on the MSG building at Gizo.

Workers were seen preparing posts to erect a fence around the building as well as doing ground work on the proposed shower and absolution block.

According to the project’s plan, MSG building will be transformed into a proper resting place for vendors from nearby Islands who spend more days trying to sell their products at Gizo Market.

There will be proper rooms, shower rooms and absolution block where vendors can rent for a lesser amount of money.

The plan was approved following reports that vendors were braving cold and bad weather sleeping at the building when they are unable to sell their products at the market.

Last year the Asia Development Bank (ADB) made the announcement and its willingness to fund the project under its program known as CAUSE Project.

The project will provide a safe haven for vendors when it’s open.

Call for visa conditions for expat airline managers

Written by
Ben Bilua
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Solomon Airlines airbus

BY BEN BILUA

Gizo

TRAINING for Pacific Island airline managers is being neglected but could be increased if governments imposed visa conditions on expat managers.

The call for visa conditions on expat airline managers was made by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Association of South Pacific Airlines (ASPA) George Faktaufon who says more locals need to be trained to take up higher responsibilities in the airlines business.

Faktaufon said ASPA has plans in place to re-introduce general management training for Pacific Island airline staff but needs help from governments.

“For instance, when you grant visas for expatriates, particularly for the airlines, there must be some requirements to identify local counterparts, and provide training during a certain period that when expatriate leaves, there is a local person ready to take over.

“Unfortunately, this is absent in all Pacific Island countries. There is not any requirement when you bring in expatriates to train and develop local counterparts.

Faktaufon said loss of skilled staff is one of the key challenges airlines have faced since COVID-19.

Airlines have been harder hit than many other industries by the impact of the pandemic because border closures have dramatically reduced services.

Even when planes are not flying, airline staff need to continue regular training to maintain the certification they need to keep their jobs.

ASPA is working with its member airlines to assist them in the complicated process of resuming regular international flights, including with training.

“In the last 10 years, we have been concentrating on training specific key areas like revenue management, operational management, engineering maintenance management and our focus was in these specific areas because we felt it was necessary,” Faktaufon said.

“But we found that during the pandemic that no one has any existing general management training.

 While ASPA is developing new training initiatives Faktaufon said: “There’s only so much we can do in training and developing”.

“I think the onus rests with the governments themselves, the boards of the airline’s themselves, to make sure that there is a system in place where local people are developed, trained, and ready to take up those responsibilities.

New challenges flipping roles in families and small business

Written by
Jennifer Kusapa
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Women Selling Their products at the Honiara Main Market.

By Jeniffer Kusapa

Twenty-year-old Anna used to be relaxed and waiting on her parents to put food on the table. Now she is struggling to support her parents on a day-to-day routine for survival.

Anna has grown up fast and says COVID-19 has taught her family a great lesson about the value of culture.

Out of a family of six children, only their mother is employed and even that is not regular.

Like so many others, her father lost his job due to COVID-19 as the company that he worked for was forced to make staff redundant. 

Since her father lost his employment, Anna and other members of the family had to find new ways to earn some money for their survival.

“So, we engaged ourselves to do small markets like selling of betel-nuts and coconuts along the road,” Anna explained

“I have been selling betel-nut since the beginning of 2021 given our situation; this is in order to support our mother who is still working.

“This year things have got worse.

“Come 2022, when the COVID out-break and the lockdowns, it has affected us.

“Our mother never goes to work and also our market was affected.

“With the COVID restrictions in place by the government, nobody buys from our markets, as those who usually buys our goods no longer come around to buy from us.”

Anna has gained a new appreciation for the value of our culture our wantok system culture, as relatives reached out to provide her family with some food.

“Culture and wantok system are something that we Solomon Islanders are lucky of,” she said.

“Our wantoks sometimes are there to support us, but in terms of money we have to struggle to earn a dollar a day.”  

The hard times Anna is experiencing are reflected in the economic statistics.

Last year, before the November riots and the COVID-19 outbreak early this year, the Ministry of Finance had expected the economy to grow slightly – by around 1% in 2022.

In his budget speech last month Finance and Treasury Minister Harry Kuma revealed that, in fact, the economy contracted by 0.2% in 2021

The prospects for 2022 are worse, with a further 4.5% contraction in economic growth.

If that trend continues Anna thinks more people with small businesses will be affected.

She believes the government should consider some subsidies to assist and support people in their business, so small businesses are able to survive the challenging situation ahead.

Warrant of arrest issued on man with many titles

Written by
Jennifer Kusapa
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BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

PUBLIC Prosecution has applied for a warrant of arrest on the 28-year-old male from Western Province charged with counts of rape, common assault and false pretence for not attending his court hearing yesterday.

Jareth Sialo was released on bail previously and was supposed to appear in court on May 18, 2022, but when his name was called out within the court premises he was nowhere to be seen.

Bobby Harunari of the Public Solicitor’s Office informed the court that his client was sick and would not be available in court, but the presiding Magistrate Leonard Chite issued the warrant instead.

Public Prosecutor Jonathan Auga told the court yesterday that prosecution will make an application to revoke the bail as they have received complaints from some complainants regarding the accused.

Auga said that since the accused is faced with a rape charge, they are going to commit the file to the High Court for hearing.

Meanwhile regarding the additional charge, police are yet to interview the accused and prosecution is seeking seven days to allow police investigators to complete the interview before additional charge is filed to the court.

Sialo is charged in relation to the incidents which occurred in 2021 and 2022, the first allegation was an incident of rape that occurred in October 2021.

Prosecution said on October 15, 2021, the accused was driving a caldina car along the Point Cruz Road when the victim walked home from work.

Prosecution said the accused was in front of the old ANZ building at Point Cruz, when he saw the victim walked past and he stopped by her side in a black caldina car, he lowered the left window screen of the front left door of his car and asked the victim if she was heading to the market. The victim replied the accused that she is heading that way.

The accused allegedly invited the victim into the front seat of his car but instead the victim got into and sat at the back seat.

The victim did not know the defendant therefore felt strange when in encounter with him. Inside the cab, the victim asked the defendant if he knew her and he replied yes, he knew her.

The victim told him that she did not even know him. The defendant told the victim that she lived at Vura 3 which was right. The defendant drove off then.

The defendant told the victim that his name was Shane.

At the market bus stop, the victim was about to get out of the car and there the defendant asked for her mobile contact. The victim gave him her mobile phone number and the defendant made a missed call to her cell phone.

On the 18th October 2021, between 1700 hours and 1900 hours, the defendant known to the victim as Shane contacted her and asked of her whereabouts.

The victim told him that she was on her way from the office to the Main Market bus stop. Not long, the defendant reached her and picked her up again in his car. Both travelled up easterly direction.

On reaching the SDA Bus Stop at Kukum area, the victim informed the defendant that she will bedropped off there.

The defendant refused and insisted that they both continued up to Panatina Plaza.

So, he continued driving up to Panatina Plaza and stopped besides the fence of the Kausimae Building.

There he told the victim that he was a doctor at the National Referral Hospital, working at the Theatre Operation Department and then he moved over to the back seat where the victim was sitting.

He pulled the victim’s underwear. The victim refused and resisted but the defendant kept on forcing himself to have sex with her.

The second incident is a false pretence incident that occurred on the night of February 7 2022, the defendant pulled over along the road side at Lunga and forced the complainant and her sister to board the car for a ride.

On the way, the defendant started to introduce himself and claimed that he is one of the WICKHAM’s family and his name is “Shane WICKHAM”, 23 years of age and he is the youngest officer at Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) in Honiara.

He also claimed to have resided at the Prime Minister’s area at GBR and claimed to be part PNG and also told the complainant and her sister that his mother sent him some money through Western Union (WU) for him to rent a room at AJ City Mall.

This is where he will operate a Phone shop and owns a RAV-4, Caldina and a short boot car.

The complainant then was about to drop off at Kukum, the accused asked for their contacts, the complainant’s sister then gave her number to him.

Later that day, the complainant’s sister received a call from the defendant identified himself as Shane WICKHAM.

He asked them if they can help him with an amount of $1000.00, he already had $3000.00 with him.

He claimed that he was running out of cash to pay the charges of his container at the Solomon Islands Ports Authority because if he is late to pay, extra fee charges will be charged to his container, he promised them that he will refund their money.

The defendant’s false statements convinced the complainant to believe that he is telling the truth and she gave him $1000.00 to him in front of Jasmin shop along Vura Road in Honiara.

On the next day, the defendant then called the complainant and his sister and asked them again if they could help him with another $500.00.

They started to doubt the defendant’s credibility whether or not he was telling them the truth and they decided to give him only $100.00. He drove to the same location and collected the money.

The third incident occurred on February 11 2022 between 2 to 3pm, the defendant contacted the complainant’s mobile phone and introduced himself as Lawyer- Willie.

The complainant on this matter is a Correctional officer,

The allegation said that the accused called her if she could give him of $1000.00 so that he could pay for his container charges and will present a new brand-mobile phone to her in return, the complainant told him that she did not have such amount but only got $500.00.

Not long after the phone conversation, the defendant arrived to the complainant at Rove Correctional Center Headquarters, picked the complainant and heading up to SIEA office at Ranadi where the complainant took an amount of $500.00 and gave it to him.

Three days later as promised by the defendant that he will be refunding the complainant’s money.

She contacted him and asked for her refunds but the defendant started to make some excuses. She kept on contacting his mobile phone but he ignored to answer her calls and avoid himself from the complainant.

Bobby Harunari of the Public Solicitor’s represents the accused in court.

New law requires tax agents to register

Written by
Eddie Osifelo
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Commissioner of Inland Revenue Division, Joseph Dokekana

By EDDIE OSIFELO

TAX agents must register with Commissioner of Inland Revenue to provide professional advice to tax payers.

This is specified in the proposed Tax Administration Bill 2020 now before the Bills and Legislative Committee in Parliament.

Commissioner of Inland Revenue Joseph Dokekana confirmed this through a virtual hearing with the BLC on Tuesday.

Dokekana said the new Tax Administration Bill is to administer tax agents if they fail to comply.

He said at the moment there is no provision to manage tax agents.

Chairman of Parliamentary House Committee, Rick Hou said tax agents is something that must be encouraged in accounting to help our businesses in tax lodgement and returns.

He said some business people don’t know how to write and read.

“Some business people know how to do business but don’t know how many monies come in and out and let alone tax lodge,” he said.

Economic Reform Unit in the Ministry of Finance and Treasury said under the Tax Administration Bill, tax agents must register before they can provide professional services to tax payers.

According to Section 30 of the Bill, a person is eligible for registration as a tax agent if:

  1. the person is registered with the Institute of Solomon Islands Accountant as a registered certified practising accountant or a registered book keeper; and
  2. the person has a TIN; and;
  3. the person is not a disqualified person;
  4. the Commissioner is satisfied that the person has adequate knowledge of the tax laws to act as a tax agent.

The inquiry into the Bill continues this week.

MARA to look into land court system

Written by
Samie Waikori
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BY SAMIE WAIKORI

Auki

MALAITA Premier Daniel Suidani says his government is committed to look into the land court system which continues to raise concerns on customary land.

He said as experienced, a lot of issues were raised on the system, where in certain cases, rightful landowners lost their land in court to those who did not own the land.

Suidani said the fact is the local court or the land court system is a foreign system and it doesn’t suit addressing the issues of customary land.

“An example is if a land case from the northern region and somebody from the southern region of the province is to preside and judge it, it doesn’t make sense.

“How would a person from the southern region or elsewhere know about land practices in the northern region to judge their land, it’s a funny thing. But, that’s the current system.

“Looking at the House of Chiefs or their land panels in the province, they can only operate within areas of governance or responsibility and not beyond areas of their non-existence.

 “The current foreign land court system becomes an issue and one way or the other, it contributes to disunity among families, tribes and communities as experienced,” he said.

Suidani said as a responsible government, it is high time to look into the current system by changing it with a land court system based on land practices and systems of Malaita.

He said the MARA government wants a reputable Malaita land court system that once they hear land cases and make decisions, that’s final, and not to go to local court or wherever.

Suidani said his government strongly believes that if a court system based on land practices and systems of Malaita is established, it will help address land related matters in the province.

He said his government is committed to the issue because of their concern for tribal lands, to set them in order and free of dispute for development in the province.

Suidani said it is not easy to pursue the idea, however, the MARA government sees this as the only way to address customary land issues in the province with confidence.

Suidani: vaccination is personal choice

Written by
Samie Waikori
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Former Malaita Premier, Daniel Suidani

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

Auki

PREMIER of Malaita province Daniel Suidani says any decision on whether or not to get the covid-19 vaccine is a personal choice, however corona virus is real.

He made the statement during a recent awareness program at Malu’u when asked on his government’s position on the covid-19 vaccine.

“I won’t tell or force anyone whether to get vaccinated or not. Because I respect individual rights and believes on the vaccination.

“Also, I’m certain that if I advise or do not advice people on the vaccine and anything happens to them, I fear I will take any blame,” Suidani said.

He said the choice is upon each and everyone and whatever their choice is what they have decided to do.

“What I would say is, if you have problem with your truck, you won’t go to a carpenter to fix it. The right person is a mechanic who can fix it or you can listen to his/her advices.

“The same applies to the vaccine, this is a health issue and the only people we should listen to for advices are health practitioners, experts from the provincial health or the Ministry of Health (MHMS),” Suidani said.

He said he took his jabs in Australia which is something personal to him and made upon his personal conviction.

Suidani said the pandemic is real and people have died and continue to die across the globe as recorded.

He said the no jab no job is a mandatory policy by the national government for all working-class people, both public and private sector to get their jabs.

“Work-people or employees from both sectors in the country have been affected on the policy and we don’t know what is next on the policy.

“As I have said, decision whether to get or not to get the vaccine is a personal choice and I respect everyone’s choice, for I also respect their rights and believes on the vaccine,” Suidani said. 

Auki public complain on bus & taxi fare hike

Written by
Samie Waikori
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0

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

Auki

Auki public are raising concern over the hike in prices in public transport.

Earlier this week, bus and taxi fares were increased. The main reason given was the hike in fuel prices.

But, public say it does not make sense when prices for long distance transports remain the same, while the short route transports have hiked theirs.

One man said a truck fare from Auki to West Are Are with a distance of more than 80km costs around $50 and a taxi fare from Auki to Kilu’ufi with a distance of about 4km cost $70.  

The man said for buses, even from Auki town to your residence which 100-200m in distance, is at $4 bus fare for adult and $3 for children.

He said the fare charges didn’t reflect the notion that hikes in fuel and spare parts prices is the reason, thus its profit gain.

On that note, the man called on Malaita provincial government or any responsible authorities in Auki to deal with the matter to make it fair to both people and public transport owners in Auki.

He also thanked bus and taxi owners for providing the service in Auki and called on them to be fair in the service for equal benefit.

Tax bill inquiry postponed

Written by
Eddie Osifelo
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Leader of Opposition, Matthew Wale

By EDDIE OSIFELO

BILLS and Legislative Committee has postponed its inquiry into the Tax Administration Bill 2022 on Tuesday.

This is to allow Ministry of Finance and Treasury to furnish the metadata to the Committee.

Metadata is a set of data that describes and gives information about other data.

Leader of Opposition, Mathew Wale said the Committee might issue a letter on Tuesday outlining what data they need.

Wale said it might be useful for the committee to understand policy made in the Bill.

He said that information would be useful for other stakeholders who will appear before the Committee when presenting their views.

Inland Revenue Division (IRD) Commissioner, Joseph Dokekana said in terms of provision of data, it could be the overall figures, not the names or other details of specific tax payers.

He said IRD is bound by confidentiality when it comes to releasing information to the public.

Dokekana said the information or figures should be available in two days’ time.

Chairman of BLC John Maneioru said the resumption of the inquiry depends on the availability of the metadata to the Secretariate.

He said once the Secretariate receives the information, it will advice BLC to resume the hearing.

The object of the Tax Administration Bill 2022 is to provide for the administration of the tax laws of Solomon Islands, with the intention of providing a modern administrative basis for the tax system and ensuring that arrangements are consistent across the different taxes administered by the Commissioner.

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