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False pretence case returns to court

Written by
Jennifer Kusapa
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BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THE case of a man alleged of lying to a retired doctor for money will be mentioned in court before Principal Magistrate Felix Hollison.

This is the case of a 45-year-old man Sam Ngedea who was accused of obtaining more than $40,000 from a retired doctor in 2018 and 2019.

Prosecution charged the accused with 25 counts of false pretence and 21 counts of demanding with menace.

This is regarding the allegations occurred between December 3, 2018 and July 20, 2019 where he lied to an elderly doctor and obtained more than $40,000.

Prosecution said the accused collected the monies from the victim on various occasions as compensation, accusing the victim of trying to have sex with a woman he claimed was his mother.

Prosecution also alleged Ngedea during those times would appear using names such as George Ben, John Lake and Peter.

It was also alleged that the incident was a “make-up” by the accused, making prior arrangement with that woman to meet the victim on the case.

Steward Tonowane is appearing for the Crown while Lazarus Waroka from the Public Solicitor’s office is representing the accused.

Traffic incident halts meeting

Written by
Eddie Osifelo
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Turarana river, where the WinWin mining company is operating.

By EDDIE OSIFELO

THE traffic accident at Tenaru, east of Honiara, on Wednesday night which resulted in five people confirmed dead has affected the meeting between Win Investment Ltd and Turarana Landowners Taskforce and other leaders.

The meeting was scheduled at Henderson Police Post conference room from 10am to 12 noon yesterday.

However, the meeting could not take place because the vehicle involved in the accident belongs to a person in Turarana village.

Therefore, people in Turarana could not travel down town at this time to avoid any dispute with relatives of the deceased.

The so-called Taskforce called the meeting for the company to clarify outstanding issues and due payment need to be settled relating to the mining operation on Turarana tenement.

One of the Directors of Win Win, Charles Meke said a new date will be set for the meeting because of the traffic accident.

The taskforce said failure to meet with them, the company expect to see all four tribes would stage a road block on 13th July, which is the deadline of the 14 days’ notice issued on 29th June to Win Win.

Win Win does not recognize the existence of Taskforce as it was set up outside the 24 trustees of Turarana where Win Win signed the Surface Access Agreement and Surface Access Rights Agreement with them.

In a letter sent to the Managing Director of Win Win mining Company Ltd on 1st July, the four landowning tribes (Garavu, Lasi, Koe’naho and Manuki) tribes who owns the Turarana tenement where the company is operating, agreed on this during their extra ordinary meeting held at Turarana village on Wednesday 30th June.

Some of the log of claims which are dued payments are:

1.            Premium – $26,000 (Surface Access Agreement)

2.            Access fee – $250,000 (SAA)

3.            Rental payments – $1,000/square kilometer multiply 12 square kilometer – (2018-2021)

4.            Campsite payment – $3,000 per month from 2018-2021

5.            Pits

6.            Damages

However, Elemelek Vamule, mines officer in the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification confirmed the royalty payments of the landowners are still with Central Bank of Solomon Islands.

Vamule said CBSI can only release the payments once the landowners sorted out their land boundaries and open a bank account.

He said so far there were 19 shipments of the minerals made so far and the company overseas has already paid eight shipments to CBSI.

Vamule said this is in accordance with Mines and Mineral Act that payments must be made within three months on the day of shipment.

Further to that, he said regarding information of the company’s operation, no one can access it because of its confidentiality and its property.

Vamule said under the Mines and Mineral Act, the ministry cannot issue the information of the company until it loses its tenement and move out after three months.

Meke said Bred Bank has willing to help open accounts for the company, 24 trustees and the employees.

Meke said work is ongoing to sort out the land boundaries on the tenement as well.

Win Win has extracted alluvial deposits on the stream beds of Mamasa and Turarana to get the minerals, especially gold.

The company started operations on Mamasa in October 2019, however the company discovered the tenement had low alluvial deposits on its stream beds.

Win Win is now operating on Turarana which is believed to have high alluvial deposits.

Youths form ward comm ittees

Written by
Samie Waikori
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Youths attended the ward youth formation meeting yesterday in Auki.

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

AUKI

FOUR wards in Malaita have established their Ward Youth Committees during a meeting yesterday in Auki.

They are wards one, two, 29 and 30.

The establishment of the ward committees is to fulfill the National Youth Council (NYC) policy under MWYCFA to have a bridge of youth committees or councils from community level up to the national level.

Malaita Youth Coordinator Francis Samo said the purpose of establishing the youth committees is to facilitate youth issues from community level through the chain of committees up to NYC.

Also for youth programs and activities planned at the national level to channel down through the committees.

He said the idea behind the initiative is by establishing pathway for voices and issues affecting youths in the country to bring to the national government and to be heard.

Samo said this is important as it will help national government through the ministry of youths (MWYCFA) for proper planning on youth programs and activities for the country.

He said so far only five wards in the province; ward 28, one, two, 29 and 30 have formed their Ward Youth Committees and they will require to form Community Youth Committee as the least committee establishment on the chain.

Samo also said that formulating the committees is also a platform to enable youths to organize themselves in their communities and wards to work with other relevant stakeholders like WDCs, constituency office and partners to address issues face.

He said the provincial youth desk was the responsible body for youths in the province and will continue to liaise between youth committees and NYC at the national level on youth issues.

Samo said after establishing these five ward committees, the Malaita Provincial Youth Council province has 28 wards yet to establish their Ward Youth Committees.

He said a total of 25 youth participants attended the meeting yesterday and formed youth committees for wards one, two, 29 and 30.

Samo said the youth ward formation meeting was supported by Malaita provincial office.

Seasonal work for us in Aussie under threat

Written by
Ben Bilua
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Pacific Seasonal workers

BY BEN BILUA
Gizo

Red tape and a new seasonal work visa for people from Asian nations are threatening opportunities for Solomon Islanders to work in Australia.

In June, Australian agriculture Minister David Littleproud, announced a new ‘seasonal agricultural workforce visa’ for citizens of Southeast Asian (ASEAN) countries. It would be based on the working holiday-maker (or backpacker) visa which has much lighter regulation than visas currently offered to Pacific workers.

“There is desperate shortage of labour all around the country, not necessarily just in agriculture but more broadly,” Canberra-based Professor of Finance, Satish Chand, told Pacific journalists on Tuesday.

However, Australia’s tough visa policies and requirements are pushing employers away from hiring Pacific workers under the Seasonal Worker Programme (SWP) and the separate Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS) for technically or vocationally qualified workers, experts say.

Regulations to allow commencement of the new agricultural visa for people from ASEAN nations have not been drawn up yet.

“There are great Pacific Island workers ready to come and work in Australia, but we’ve made the system very difficult,” said Caleb Jarvis, Trade and Investment Commissioner, Pacific Trade Invest Australia.

“We can’t then turn around and offer ASEAN easier conditions to entry into Australia.

Commissioner Jarvis said opening up Australia’s labour market to Pacific Islands is absolutely necessary to help the Pacific economies recover after COVID.

“That’s the one lever Australia can pull up almost immediately and open the gates, because Australia is currently going through critical labour shortages across most industry sectors in metropolitan areas and rural areas.

“So, this is a great time for Australia to step up and really show their commitment to the Pacific,” Jarvis said.

Professor Satish Chand from the University of New South Wales agrees.

He believes there should be a Pacific-wide visa for workers with technical and vocational skills and wants to see Pacific workers given the same access as New Zealanders to work in Australia.

“If we were to be a real value, a real family, then I think we should have much freer mobility of workers throughout the region,” he said.

Prof Chand says the initiative would be of particular value to young people as the region charts a path out of the COVID economic crisis.

He is calling for recognition of technical and vocational qualifications as the basis for a Pacific Skills Visa that could be implemented across Pacific Forum countries.

“We have to have people who are trained as electricians, mechanics and carpenters be able to work abroad as qualified tradespeople.

“But more importantly, people who are already upskilled, we want recognition of their qualifications abroad, so this has to be the job of the government.

On the agricultural visa, Professor Chand believes the problem is too many visas with different rules creating a race to the bottom.

“I think there’s a lot of exploitation that takes place of our workers,” he said

“It’s partly because of all the red tape linked to the Seasonal Worker Programme with approved employers having a complete monopoly on the workers,”

“What happens is that our seasonal workers compete with …working holiday-makers. And then they also compete with undocumented workers – these are illegals.

 “And when you have this competition across visa classes, what you have is a race to the bottom.

“So, if you have a worker who’s undocumented, who’s illegal, who who’s willing to work at $10 an hour, then that sets the benchmark for everybody else,”

“I, for one, am in favour of just a one agricultural visa for everybody,’ Professor Chand said.

Last month, Secretary General of Pacific Islands Forum, Henry Puna stressed that Pacific nations are concerned that Pacific workers could be squeezed out of the Australian market by workers from Asia.

He said Pacific heads of mission in Canberra had expressed these concerns to the Australian government.  

Seasonal work is seen as one of the most effective ways to relieve the economic pressure COVID is placing on Pacific people and economies.

On Tuesday, Pacific officials began a series of online meetings leading up to next week Forum economic and trade ministers’ meetings next week.

In his opening address, Secretary General Puna told officials: “This meeting is an opportunity for us to have a robust collective discussion on forward- looking and innovative, collective solutions that can inspire and propel economic recovery across our Blue Pacific Continent.”

Traditional knowledge complements resilience

Written by
Ben Bilua
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Freedom Tozaka, a chief from Vella

BY BEN BILUA

Gizo

EXPERTS say reviving traditional knowledge can complement resilience of the Pacific region.

Research carried out by Siosinamele Lui of Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) on tradition knowledge found that countries in the Pacific have traditional resilience mechanisms, which exists and have been practised over decades.

Speaking to the media cohort for the Pacific Resilience Meeting (PRM) 2021 earlier this week, Lui said contextually, traditional knowledge and modern scientific are similar, they just use different languages.

“Traditional knowledge has climate and weather indicators like scientific indicator which modern technology rely on these days,” Lui said.

“Our ancestors have season to plant root crops, harvest and also they can predict the weather. These knowledges are still practiced in many pacific island countries,” she said.

Lui said there is a need to review and merge traditional knowledge into scientific knowledge to build resilience in the Pacific.

Speaking of traditional knowledge, Freedom Tozaka, a chief from Vella Island in Western Province (Solomon Islands) said people in his community are still depending on traditional knowledge passed down from their ancestors to survive.

“We are island people, and we can predict the weather, know when to travel by sea and also when to plant our root crops like taro,” he said.

“Traditional knowledge is in our system and many times we depend on traditional knowledge to survive.”

Tozaka said globalisation and the changing weather patterns due to climate change present new challenges to traditional knowledge weather and climate indications.

He said frequent rainy seasons and sea level rise has applied pressure on food security and also people’s way of life.

“Our traditional knowledge on weather is that we have only two season, wet season which last from November to April and dry season from May to October. We expert Western trade wind known as Koburu and Eastern Trade Wind Ara around these seasons. Currently strong wind can hit any time so as heavy rain,” Tozaka said.

Tozaka acknowledges that there is a need to merge scientific and traditional knowledge to establish effective reliance mechanism and policy that would help communities mitigate disasters.

SI sets to graduate from LDC by 2024

Written by
Press Release
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Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.

SOLOMON Islands is scheduled to graduate from the category of Least Developed Country (LDC) by 2024.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare highlighted during his 43rd Independence Address on Wednesday this week.

The Prime Minister said while LDC graduation has potential benefits such as a heightened sense of national progress that accompanies a move out of the lowest rung of the development ladder, the COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected LDC’s and Small Island Developing States.

“Solomon Islands is already facing deep economic contractions and suffering the socio economic consequences of lockdowns and travel restrictions. There are likely serious consequences on our development trajectories,” he said.

The Prime Minister said there is also the risk of future regress in graduation eligibility.

Prime Minister Sogavare said financing needs will be difficult to cover and likely to widen poverty gaps and make achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and leaving no one behind more difficult.

As such, he said it might be necessary to reconsider a delayed LDC graduation.

“The Government is undertaking further analysis and using recent results of a few studies on the socio- economic impacts of COVID-19 to guide discussion on the issue of LDC graduation,” he said.

Prime Minister Sogavare said it is important to ensure a smooth transition is crucial.

The Prime Minister said smooth transition implies that the loss of international development partner support measures and preferential treatment granted by the fact that SI is an LDC should not harm our countries development progress.

“The smooth transition strategy should also outline the direction to ensure the transition builds from existing plans and strategies, bridge gaps within economic growth sectors that would also contribute to improve the social sectors of the country,” he said.

He said it should also be more innovative to accommodate changes of the new normal brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The theme for this year’s independence is “Our Country, Our Children, Our Future: A resilient, peaceful and united Solomon Islands”.

DEATH ON WHEELS

Written by
Brian Lezutuni
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The vehicle that was involved in the incident at the Tenaru bridge. PHOTO BENJAMIN AFUGA

Man running from police mows down crowd killing 5

BY JARED KOLI

Five people are dead and three others injured after they were run over by a person being chased by police at the old Tenaru bridge, east of Honiara.

Police in a statement said the fatal accident occurred on Wednesday night when a land cruiser chased by police for careless driving drove through a group of people who were doing a fundraising in front of the old Tenaru Bridge. 

Supervising Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Guadalcanal Province, Superintendent Edwin Sevoa confirmed that the land cruiser was chased by police vehicle for careless driving from the Burns Creek area.

“On their way up to Tenaru Bridge, the driver of the land cruiser saw an incoming vehicle on the Bridge and parked vehicle at the western end of the Bridge, so the driver decided to drive through the old Tenaru Bridge where a fundraising was happening,” he said.

Sevoa said the vehicle drove straight towards the crowd, hit several of them and later stopped.

“The driver of the land cruiser had escaped after the fatal accident and was later arrested with his associate. Some unknown person later burnt down the land cruiser into ashes.”

Sevoa said a traffic case was established and investigation is currently on going.

“I call on parties involved in this sad incident to refrain from taking the laws in to your hands and allow police to deal with the matter so that those responsible could face justice.

“Our condolences to the family and relatives of the deceased for the loss of their loved ones,” said Sevoa.

Island Sun was informed that the fatalities included Malaitans, Temotuans and North Guadalcanal citizens.

Gizo celebrates Independence Day

Written by
Ben Bilua
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Church Leaders and Officials who orgainsed the event

BY BEN BILUA

GIZO

GIZO residents took time out to celebrate the country’s 43rd Independence Day on Wednesday at the John F Kennedy stadium.

The event was organised by a newly established church association which represents all denominations in Gizo with the support of the Western Province Ministry of Peace.

SDA youth sing for the crowd during the celebration

The celebration began with a combined dawn service followed by kids’ games and soccer knock-out for women and girls.

In an interview, Deputy Director of Western Province Peace Office, Bruno Manele said the programme where churches came together and organise events to mark the country’s national day is a first of its kind in Western Province, especially Gizo.

“I see that when the government or provincial leaders put churches and traditional leaders to work, implementation of expected objectives and goals are progressing.

Striker of Pandani 2 FC receives her consolation prize from Ben Bilua, Island Sun Reporter based at Gizo who is also part of the organising committee

“We pull together church leaders, church members also follow. We understand that we have active religious backgrounds, most of us belong to church groups, so when we all on churches, more people will participate,” he said.

Manele said the successful hosting and organising of the independent celebration by church leaders set a benchmark that should be encouraged across the country.

He said Gizo’s combined religious committee made an outstanding commitment and partnership in driving not only the event but also the effort to improve religious stewardship in communities.

Youths enjoying the day

“We have overlooked our churches to be part in social and economic development of our country for the past 43 years. We need to change our approach when we look at this, our churches are here before we got our independent status from our colony, and so change in approach and engaging our churches must begin now. Enough of rhetoric on our churches, put them at work and we will all move forward,” Manele said.

He said Western Province Peace office sees Gizo Religious Association as an entity that can be actively engaged to complement the province’s programmes and activities in addressing social issues.

Manele stressed that his ministry will strengthen its partnership with the newly established Gizo Religious Association to carry out needed programmes and activities in the future.

SHHH!!!……..Miner warns landowner against going to media

Written by
Eddie Osifelo
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By EDDIE OSIFELO

WIN Win mining company Ltd is demanding the outspoken landowner of Turarana, Joel Jackson, to refrain from going to the media and to apologise to the company.

In a letter issued by the company’s lawyer Whitlam Togamae to Jackson on July 2, it states:

  1. That you and your associates always published unnecessary news on media about our client Win Win investment limited mining operation.
  2. That you and your associates or group have manipulated the landowners to sign papers influencing them with untrue information causing problems among landowners with out client, as well as headline on media within Solomon Islands nation as a whole.
  3. That you and your associate or group always trying to sabotage Win Win Investment Limited good mining operation and existence.

Togamae said there were and are rightful land trustees and executive from landowners and their client representative to deal with any issue arising.

He said “your (Jackson’s) actions seem illegal and deems to defamation where you hereby noted and advised as follows;

  1. You and your associate or group must cease and refrain from publishing on media any article relates or regarding our clients mining operation.
  2. You and your associates or group must quit influencing the landowners with untrue information or initiating the landowners within or surrounding communities to sign papers that surely will cause harm and destablise Win Win Investment Limited.
  3. That you also advised to cease any intention to sabotage the lawful existence of Win Win Investment Limited mining operation, doing so is illegal.

Togamae furthers by telling Jackson that he has instructions to file legal proceedings against him and his associates once they do not comply.

“Be informed that we hereby also request you and your associate to must formally apologise to Win Win Investment Ltd within 14 days.

“Failure to comply means we will initiate legal proceeding against you and your associate in the Court of law,” he added.

However, Jackson has denied any untrue or unnecessary news on media because all his information is based on facts.

He said there was no manipulation to influence landowners to sign papers to influence them with untrue information.

Jackson said every landowner agreed to sign the papers because they see there is something wrong with the company since its operation on their land.

Further to that, he said there is no intention to sabotage against Win Win as they want the company to come out clear and explain to landowners demands in the SAA.

As such, Jackson said he will not apologise to the company and his group is ready to secure a service of a lawyer to represent them fight against the company.

Kava opportunities as price spikes in Australia

Written by
Brian Lezutuni
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Kava is in high demand in Australia now due to the impacts of Covid-19: Photo Supplied.

By Brian Lezutuni

Australians, Pacifika people living in Australia, are being forced to pay as much as SBD $2107 ($350 AUD) for a kilogram of impure kava from black market sales of the product.

With reduced international travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic, supplies usually provided by travelling friends and family have decreased dramatically creating a shortage which has pushed up prices.

Kava farmers had hoped to benefit from a pilot program for commercial importation of kava that was announced in 2019 but may now have to wait until 2022 before they can tap into the Australian market.

Fiji born, Professor Satish Chand from the School of Business at the University of New South Wales, told Pacific Journalists this week that Pacific Islanders in Australia are desperately in need of kava.

An avid kava consumer himself, Professor Chand said where he lives in Canberra, he could buy half a dozen bottles of Scotch Whiskey for the same price as that for 1kg of kava.

“And that is weird. If I really wanted to get drunk, I’d buy whiskey not kava, but you know kava has got a different significance to Pacific islanders here.  We can’t have a prayer session without kava, even amongst Hindus and Muslims, we still need kava,” he adds.

He urged government leaders ahead of the Forum Economic Ministers Meeting next week to give Australia the extra nudge into pushing the pilot project forward.

“There is a market that we can push for and I think that it is high time that we did so,” he added.

Trade and Investment Commissioner of the Pacific Trade Invest Australia, Caleb Jarvis said his organization has been involved in consultation with the Australian Government on kava and there is a demand in Australia.

He said there would be some controls and monitoring around kava imports.

“There will have to be commercial entities, licenced to export as well as licenced importers and distributors in Australia as well,” Commissioner Jarvis said.

“Quality will also be an issue as there is a push to have kava produced and packaged in a HACCP-certified facility.

HACCP is Australia’s food safety certification process.

At the moment, Countries that do not have a HACCP-certified packaging facility may be able to get their Kava packaged in Australia.

Mr Jarvis emphasised that the upcoming Forum Economic and Trade Ministers Meeting would be a great opportunity for members across the Pacific to put pressure on Australia for more discussions on opening up the kava pilot program sooner rather than later.

“They’ve put funding…and allocated funding in the last budget to this,” he added.

ENDS

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