CALM DOWN: Police Inspector Tex Tafoa addressing a crowd that gathered at Kukum yesterday in anticipation of a protest march to the Prime Minister's Office. Heavy presence of Police on ground at Kukum on Monday calmed the rowdy crowd and dispersed them while their leaders worked with Police to address the issue.
THE Office of Prime Minister and Cabinet is still to receive the petition from the so-called Honiara based Malaitans group.
Special Secretary to the Prime Minister, Albert Kabui told media in a press conference yesterday that they are still to see the petition.
However, he said if the office receives the petition, they will look into it.
Kabui said there was no petition received in July as claimed in the media.
Attorney General, John Muria Junior said the government has a process to receive submission.
Furthermore, Kabui said in terms of assembly by the group that breached the Emergency Regulation under the State of Public Emergency, this is up to the police to deal with it.
He said any arrest is subject to police investigation.
A spokesman for the group, Noxly Atu earlier told Island Sun they had been in dialogue since Thursday last week because the Prime Minister reportedly did not receive the petition, they had handed his office on July 23, 2021. It was also reported that the petition was not properly signed.
“Because of this we are working on it to have our group leaders to sign it, and we will resubmit it to the Prime Minister tomorrow [Tuesday this week],” said Mr Atu.
The initial petition was reportedly submitted to the Prime Minister two weeks ago, July 23 and copied to the Opposition leader, Police Commissioner and the Honiara City Mayor.
Only Opposition Leader Matthew Wale and the Honiara City Mayor had acknowledged receiving their copies of the petition.
On Sunday a crowd of Honiara-Malaitans met with senior officers of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) at the new Kukum market where they dialogued following the petition.
Police told the crowd and leaders of the Honiara-based Malaitan group to allow time to sort things out.
On Monday, a rowdy crowd gathered again at the Kukum market area with plans to stage a protest march to the Office of the Prime Minister.
A heavy police presence was at the scene and officers managed to calm the crowd and disperse them with help of the group leaders.
Commissioner of Police Mostyn Mangau in a media statement that day strongly asked those who intended to join the protest to refrain.
“The planned protest was illegal under the Procession Act and the current State of Public Emergency Regulation. RSIPF will not tolerate such illegal activities that threatens Public Safety and National Security. The Police is on top of the situation and have advice the organisers not to progress with any protest whatsoever.”
Run down materials inside the failed mini-hospital. Photo by JARED KOLI
BY JARED KOLI
A REVISED plan is being devised for the failed Marau mini hospital project.
The current plan is to rectify the defects which resulted in a demolition order carried out by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development (MID) in 2019.
This is according to Guadalcanal Provincial Government (GPG) Minister of Finance, Treasury and Administration and Provincial Member for Birao ward in Marau, Andrew Tahisihaka.
Tahisihaka said assessments were made and recommendations were made with a number of reviews on the revised building plan.
“Due to the covid-19 progress has been very slow despite the efforts made. Once plan is complete, it will be resubmitted to GPG Planing and Development Board for approval,” he said.
Tahisihaka said funding remained secure and current design needs to align with the available funding of SBD$10 million dollars.
“More work needs to be done and get the revised plan approved. Land issues at hospital site at Manikalaku have been sorted out by GP Executive,” he adds.
GPG Director of Health Dr Joel Denty said the mini hospital is a community initiative which started back in 2007 with construction began in 2010.
The mini-hospital was funded through a welfare trust fund on Health made available after the Bank of Hawai’I, which holds majority share in the then National Bank of Solomon Islands (NBSI), left the country.
John Sullivan QC of Sol-Law was a trustee to the Trust Fund.
Island Sun was informed that the Marau Community approached John Sullivan as he is also a shareholder of the Tavanipupu Private Island Resort in Marau Sound, east Guadalcanal.
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare briefed by Nurse In-charge inside the failed Marau mini-hospital. Photo by JARED KOLI
The Marau Community dialogued with John Sullivan and saw the need because the Marau clinic was destroyed after the ethnic crisis in year 2000.
A Marau Mini-Hospital Trust Board was then formed and work commenced thereafter.
However, according to Dr Denty who had involved in the project since 2011, a year after it began construction, the building has issues along the way.
One is, the structure and its plans never passed through Provincial Planning and Development Board.
The construction that began in 2010 was issued a stop notice in 2015 when the project was expected to have been completed its first phase.
Works Division went over to Marau in 2015, inspect the building and put the stop notice.
It was after concerns that the corridor was narrow and could not accommodate hospital beds to make a turn in and between the corridors.
Works Division began to raise issues in regard to quality of material, design of building and building permit.
“The question is why did Works Division let the construction to continue while it is still not passed by the Provincial Planning and Development Board,” questioned Dr Joel in an interview with Island Sun.
Island Sun witnessed during a recent trip to Marau that quality of materials within the building have run down. The flooring is made from ply woods.
The building was deemed failed in 2019, after a team from MID went over and issued a demolition notice, according to Dr Denty.
It was claimed that John Sullivan has spent $6 million on the project and was not happy with its turn out.
“The Marau mini hospital is a sad story. To hold people in ransom without quality health service for 10 years is unacceptable,” said the GP health director.
Island Sun witnessed that there were some sick patients that were admitted in the mini-hospital during a recent visit inside the building.
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare also paid a visit inside the failed hospital during the time and witnessed the state of the hospital and challenges faced.
Dr Denty said these patients are only allowed to use the three wards within the hospital. However, the hospital is supposed to have a dental clinic, a theatre and an x-ray department. But all these were not there.
He said the Member of Parliament for east Guadalcanal has recently assisted on facelifting the old clinic by building an outpatient, admission block, and also repainted it, which is also now serving the people in Marau and nearby communities.
The GP health director adds: “Marau already has the post for dentist and doctors, this is not an easy thing to create, in terms of human resources.”
“But when things happen this way, we also have risks of losing those posts. A doctor for Marau has returned to Honiara as well as the dentist,” he stated.
Dr Denty said his patience is now running out and wants the national government or any other funding agencies to step in and help address the issue faced with the mini-hospital.
He said the Aola and Avuavu mini hospitals have been built to standard and have completed successfully although they were built years after the Marau mini-hospital begin construction.
Island Sun could not get comments from John Sullivan as he was overseas.
His law firm, Sol-Law refused to give us his email address, but instructed us to email them the questions.
COURT has imposed a three-year sentence on a man guilty for demanding money by false pretence.
Sam Ngedea pleaded guilty to 25 counts of False Pretence Contrary to section 308(a) of the Penal Code [Cap 26].
Principal Magistrate Felix Hollison in passing sentence said the defendant impersonated himself as the husband and later as the son of the same woman who visited the complainant’s bedroom once.
Hollison said reading through the facts provided before the court and considering submissions from the prosecution and defence lawyers, a custodial sentence is appropriate for the case.
He imposed a four-year sentence however due to delay incurred he deducted 12 months leaving three years for the accused to serve in jail.
“Thus, I now sentence him to three years (36 months) imprisonment. The pre-sentence-custody period, if any, must be duly deducted as well,” Hollison said.
Hollison said in his sentence that the defendant clearly planned the offending and used the name of custom and infidelity to demand money from the aged victim. The aged victim agreed to pay the compensation to the defendant on installment basis because he was threatened and he also believed that the representation made was true.
The offence of false pretence was repeated for 25 consecutive times that culminated in the total loss of approximately $25,800.
“The repetition is an aggravation and I am obliged to impart a strong deterrent message by imposing the appropriate sentence.
“In this present case, the lack of restitution on the part of the defendant is an aggravation which means that the complainant suffered unwarranted and unnecessary monetary losses that may never be recovered.
“I understand that I can also invoke section 27 of the Penal Code [Cap 26] to order the defendant to reimburse the money taken by way of compensation, however, I refuse to do so because I opined that the defendant will be punished appropriately by the custodial sentence that he will serve in this case. There is nothing that stops the defendant to consider reimbursing the complainant’s money later upon his release.”
He highlighted that the current case is a classic example of someone who falsely impersonated another person or other persons and exerted threats on the victim under the name of culture or custom to extort money from a vulnerable and aged member of the community unlawfully and unfairly for his own benefit. The most appropriate sentence is none other but a custodial sentence to teach the defendant a lesson. The combined aggregate sentence in this case serves as a warning to the members of the public not to involve in such deceitful and unlawful activities to gain money.
Steward Tonowane of the Office of the Director Public Prosecution appears for the crown while Lazarus Waroka of the Public Solicitor’s office represents the accused.
THE case of Martin Nehemiah Pola will appear in court for mention today before Deputy Chief Magistrate Ricky Iomea.
Nehemiah is currently facing three counts of obtaining credit by false pretence from Smart Technology shop at Chinatown in 2019.
Prosecution alleged that on February 5, 2019 the accused met with the owner of the shop and introduced himself as the president of the so-called Accelerate Christian Education Schools of Solomon Islands.
Upon their discussion the shop owner was convinced and agreed for the accused to collect the items discussed, to be re-paid when the school grants were ready.
Later on February 28, 2019 around 10am the accused came and collected one mobile phone at the cost of $2,250 as according to the agreement and walked out with a proforma invoice.
Again on March 15, 2019 he collected one notebook laptop 14 inches and 1X 8c Honour brand mobile.
Later on March 28, 2019, he again went to the shop and collected two Redmi mobile handsets.
The total cost of items collected is $12,150.
A couple of months later the shop owner made several attempts to call the accused to settle his credits but was unsuccessful.
The shop owner gave him enough time, till March this year, but Nehemiah never turned up to settle his credits and the matter was reported to the police in which Nehemiah was arrested and charged.
THE people of Malango Ward, Central Guadalcanal, reaffirm and reiterate previous declarations and statements that the land from Lunnga (Betikaman River) in the west to Bokonavua (near Foxwood) in the east customarily and traditionally belong to them.
“We are the rightful traditional and customary owners of the area, the land commonly referred to as Levers Land,” said Vice Chairman of Malango House of Chiefs, Paramount Chief Justus Denni.
“This land is our traditional hunting, fishing and gardening area,” he added.
“Malango people are the traditional owners and custodians of the land since time immemorial.”
Because of our traditional ownership, Denni said Malango people strongly call on the Government to return the land to them as traditional owners.
“If the ruling Democratic Coalition for Change Government can return alienated lands on Makira Ulawa Province and other provinces to traditional landowners, what is so hard about doing the same to Lungga- Tenaru Land?
“Why is the Solomon Islands Government ignoring and neglecting our call for return of our land.
“We call on the Government to do the right thing and return our land to us.”
Furthermore, Denni said the people of Malango strongly call on people from other areas on Guadalcanal and other provinces to respect their traditional customary ownership and stop illegal entry or intrusion into their customary land.
“People should respect our rights and do not come and settle illegally.
“We further call on people settling illegally to refrain from constructing permanent residences or setting up business operations because we are going to get our land back.
“People living illegally within Lungga -Tenaru land should start moving out instead of building.
“We are determined in our resolve to get our land back as our land is our resource, our security and our future,” Denni said.
The Makira Ulawa Provincial Premier, Julian Maka’a has said in Kira Kira, the Provincial capital, that advancing technology can mean Solomon Islands will have full access to internet – thus going into digital banking.
He uttered the sentiment while making his closing remarks of two days of consultations on traditional governance run by three officials of the Ministry of Traditional Governance.
Mr Maka’a said when that becomes real, hopefully, next year Solomon Islands would access the internet and would become the first country in the South Pacific to go into digital banking.
He said the Ministry of Traditional Governance can use this technology to promote the Traditional Governance and Customs Facilitation Bill 2018.
Premier Maka’a feels constant promotion and information sharing will be needed in order to make the new Bill or Law, once passed by Parliament, to be understood and adhered to by ordinary Solomon Islanders.
He also said that donors today stress the importance of including women in the decision making processes, and as it has been highlighted that if the law is silent on women, they may be excluded from the processes although they could be included in sub-committees or committees.
Mr Maka’a said the need for including a curriculum on the set up in the school system must be considered in order to ensure the future generations understand and value it.
In the final analysis, Mr Maka’a said the State-owned radio, the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation, the SIBC, can help with the promotion of the new law when implemented.
But he requested the Traditional Governance consultant team to raise “our complaint that SIBC signals are very poor and need to be improved so our link with the national government through the media is re-strengthened and maintained.
“SIBC is a communication medium that can help in the promotion of the new law”.
Commins Ikioa : Capacity Development Adviser of Makira province
THE Chia Tai logging company which has been carrying out logging operations in Arosi 1 of West Makira in Makira Ulawa Province has agreed that it will demolish Aringana Health Clinic at no cost to the Makira Ulawa Provincial Government.
The news was relayed to the Provincial Capacity Development Advisor, Commins Ikioa who has led a three-member training team to carry out training to members of Ward 8 Ward Development Committee in Arosi 1, West Makira.
Mr Ikioa said in Kira Kira, the Makira Ulawa Provincial Capital that he was told the good news at discussions he had with Chia Tai’s Camp Manager and General Manager at Baurosi Camp July 18, 2021.
He said they discussed two issues, the demolition of two buildings at the aging Aringana Health Clinic and the completion of construction work on Asimanioha Health Clinic which has remained uncompleted since 2012.
He said Chia Tai logging company managers told him the company will carry out the demolition work of the two buildings at Aringana Health Clinic at no cost to the Makira Ulawa Provincial Government.
And Mr Ikioa said he raised the uncompleted Asimanioha Health Clinic at the discussions after Asimanioha community leaders raised the issue with him.
He said both Chia Tai Managers had assured him that their logging company will help Asimanioha Community to finish the uncompleted Rural Development Program funded project.
Mr Ikioa who thanked the logging company managers for their offer of free help said that he will inform the Province’s Premier, Julian Maka’a of the logging company’s offer of assistance.
He said the logging company managers will wait to hear from the Provincial Administration before they start to carry out the tasks.
Mr Ikioa told them that he will inform the Provincial Health Director, John Harara about the discussions and for him to liaise with the Aringana Nurse to remove medications, drugs and medicines from the old clinic before demolish work can proceed.
Hauvalisi Kava farmers With GP extension staff at a Kava farm – Tina Delta.
THE Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) through its Guadalcanal Extension office has noted huge involvement of communities in Kava farming in the remote South Guadalcanal in 2021 compared to 2018.
A team from MAL Guadalcanal Province Extension office toured the region from 8th-18th last month (July) on a kava follow-up and processing demonstration mission aligned to South Guadalcanal Kava Intervention and recorded the increase in statistics.
Team leader and Chief Field Officer (CFO) for Guadalcanal Joseph Wotomaru said his team visited 6 wards in the region and compared to data collected in 2018 it shows a huge increase of 52 per cent.
Hauvalisi Kava farmers with Kava demonstrator (Nathaniel Ringo).
“We visited the same 6 wards in 2018 through where we recorded a total of 48,061 kava plants being planted,” Wotomaru said.
“However, from data collected during our recent trip to South Guadalcanal it indicates an increase compared to year 2018 as there are 101,165 kava planted which is approximately 50.6 hectare of kava being planted to date,” he added.
“This depicts an increase in the number of kava plants by 52 per cent from 2018 to 2021.”
He said his team executed two activities during the field trip which include kava field assessment and processing trainings or demonstrations to increase capacity of farmers.
Farmers and GP extension staff showing Kava chips dried on top of an old fibre water tank.
Wotomaru said the demonstration exercises specifically focused on harvesting, washing and cleaning, selection of chips and roots, cutting and chopping of roots and Chips.
“The processing demonstrations conducted are important to increase the capacity of famers on the standard market requirements so that farmers can be able to produce quality and marketable kava products, hence improving income generation and reducing poverty in the rural areas.
“The field assessment and trainings was conducted purposely to assess kava farms and to collect the latest field data.
Lynette Taghoa GP Extension survey and data officer collecting data during the tour.
“This is to measure the impact of the trainings conducted and the planting materials we distributed to the farmers since 2018 – 2020 with the aim of increasing kava production from 1.2 metric ton (MT) in 2018 to 5 MT by the end of 2023 in the region.
“Data collected could also be used for planning purposes as well as for further farmer support to ensure sustainable kava production in South Guadalcanal.”
Moffat Viniago, kava farmer from Hauvalisi and two Guadalcanal Province extension officers.
He said the trip was a success and a crucial one as information or data collected will assist Guadalcanal Province Extension office to verify the status of each kava farm and to project the total area planted in the target areas and possibly plan out the type of support the farmers need.
The team also delivered British High Commission seed and tools support to Avuavu lead farmers associations, Avuavu Secondary School and Laloato Community High School (CHS).
Wotomaru thanked MAL management and Guadalcanal Provincial Government for the support to the trip to ensure the program is implemented to support farmers in the remote South Guadalcanal region.
“Increasing kava production in South Guadalcanal will not only benefit the famers but it will also have a positive impact to the provincial and the nation economy.”
Strongim Bisnis representatives, Managing Director Pasifiki HR, Mr Bob Pollard and staff at Pasifiki HR. Photos: SICCI Media.
The Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) acknowledges one of its members, Pasifiki HR for a new service they have introduced which will provide employment support for people living with disabilities.
This new service was recently launched during SICCI’s latest Business After 5 (BA5) networking event on Friday 6 August, 2021.
Pasifiki HR, which has over 20 years’ experience in employment and human resource consultancy services in the country, is currently working with Strongim Bisnis in developing a database for people living with disabilities.
Pasifiki HR’s People Manager, Alphea H Tufah introducing the new service for people with disability during the BA5 event.
“Basically, what this new service involves is that we work with training institutions that train people living with disability and disability organisations to source people with skills,” Pasifiki HR’s People Manager, Alphea H Tufah, said.
“We will have this database that we are going to register them on and then we will work with employers on giving them work experience,” she added. “If any employer is interested in employing them then we are happy to support them in that aspect as well.”
“We look forward to having more employers come forward and support our people who are living with disabilities,” Mrs Tufah said.
People living with disabilities make up 10% of the country’s population that is being excluded from economic activities.
Mr. Tim Lawther, Business Partnership Director at Strongim Bisnis, said to quantify the issue in Solomon Islands, the skills, talents and efforts of in excess of 50,000 people are not being utilised.
“The opportunity cost for allowing this to go on unchecked is too great,” he said.
Mr. Lawther have spent five years working with the national disabled people’s organisation in Timor-Leste on economic inclusion and market development projects.
He said by addressing this we are doing so on moral and economic grounds.
Pasifiki HR Managing Director, Mr Bob Pollard delivering his remarks during the Business After 5 event.
“Data shows that people with disability are loyal and committed employees. The unfortunate reality is that many of them are afforded fewer opportunities to actively participate in the economy, so when they do, they don’t waste the chance.
“Pasifiki HR have proven themselves to be pioneers in improving employment of people with disability. They are presenting market solutions that Strongim Believes have a good chance of sustained success – changing the nature of the labour market,” Mr Lawther said.
He said Strongim Bisnis will share in the risk of this new venture for both Pasifiki HR and the employers who engage them.
Jessica Kuve of Pasifiki HR presenting on one of their services during the Business After 5 event.
Strongim Bisnis will be offering subsidies to employers who take on employees (people living with disabilities), as well as tied grants for workplace accessibility modifications. Pasifiki HR will be building a database of jobseekers with disability, including their specific skills – presenting a strong pool from which employers can draw.
The Team at Pasifiki HR also took the opportunity to present to SICCI members at the Business After 5 event other services they are currently offering including vacancy advertisement, source and supply employees, referral services, full recruitment, payroll, and diagnostic testing.
The Business After 5 event is the largest business networking event in the country providing the opportunity for SICCI members to network with other likeminded individuals in the business community.
Representatives from Strongim Bisnis, Express Freight Management and Ueniusu’unu Agribusiness Group during the SICCI BA5 event.
For local businesses and exporters in the Solomon Islands the risk of putting on a regular service for less than full container loads are great. Sectors involving in the export of products are not big enough to incentivise to put on less than a container loads.
Fortunately, there are some committed to unlocking this impasse.
Express Freight Management (EFM), with support from Strongim Bisnis, have invested in the creation of a scheduled less than container load service. With this service local exporters can ship as little as 1m3 and only pay for that amount, instead of the whole container.
This new service was launched during the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) Business After 5 (BA5) networking event on Friday 6 August at the Heritage Park Hotel.
EFM Country Manager, Mr. Ronnie Isip says at the moment they are focusing on exporting agricultural products to the global market as a way of providing assistance to local agricultural farmers.
Express Freight Management Country Manager, Ronnie Isip.
“At Express Freight we are aware of the requirements and needs of the people and through our services we will give time to consolidate those products, put them in a container and then send them globally opening the market for Solomon Islanders,” he said.
According to Mr. Tim Lawther, Business Partnership Director at Strongim Bisnis, Sectors cannot grow unless they can trial new products and/or new markets.
Mr. Lawther said Express Freight have proven to be a collaborative and reliable partner to Strongim Bisnis in this initiative.
Mr. Tim Lawther, Business Partnership Director at Strongim Bisnis, delivering his opening remarks during the SICCI BA5 event.
“Strongim Bisnis will guarantee the empty space under 13m3, which is roughly the break-even point to send a container.
“This means if only 6m3 of space is bought by an exporter, we (Strongim Bisnis) will cover the remaining 7m3. If 11m3 is bought, we’ll cover 2m3,” he said.
He said, as long as at least 1m3 is booked, Strongim Bisnis will cover 12m3 and the container will go every two months for a start, to Singapore, and from there anywhere in the world.
“If this is successful, we may guarantee the Less Than Container Load (LCL) services with greater regularity to other locations. And with other freighting firms.
With this LCL service Strongim Bisnis will also be collaborating with the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Program (PHAMA Plus) and Mr. James Kana from Ueniusu’unu Agribusiness Groupwho have launched an LCL Platform, to allow businesses to book consignments online and with ease. The two interventions will fit together and give exporters options.
“I think it’s going to be transformative for any Solomon Islands business requiring outbound freight,” Mr Lawther said.
Strongim Bisnis is an Australian Government initiative working with the private sector and Solomon Islands Government to make a strong, positive and lasting impact through business growth.
SICCI, as the peak body representing private sector, acknowledges its member Express Freight Management and partner Strongim Bisnis for this new service that will go a long way in benefiting, particularly small and medium sized businesses especially during this pandemic.
“This is a very helpful solution and not only for the reason they don’t need to produce large amounts of product to fulfill an entire space. The main advantage is saving – they pay only for the parts they use.”
“For some businesses, this means significant cost reduction and directing money to more necessary needs which is extremely important during the pandemic,” SICCI’s Export Industry Development Officer (EIDO), Ronnie Golopitu, said.
Mr. Golopitu said, according to surveys conducted by the Chamber, export businesses are very affected by the pandemic and LCL is not only a smart but also effective way to do business.
“LCL can be one of the essential options for saving the necessary strength for the business steps in the future. Those kinds of benefits can help them not only to adapt to the coronavirus circumstances but also to focus on their own business as effectively as they can.
“This LCL service falls in line with SICCI’s goal through its EIDO Department to progress relevant market access related activities to assist in export industry growth in Solomon Islands,” Mr. Golopitu said.
