Home Blog Page 999

PS clears the air over Western province’s ‘failed project

Written by
Alfred Pagepitu
-
0

’

BY ALFRED PAGEPITU

Western provincial Secretary (PS) Jeffery Wickham has clarified the offer being given to the Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services to develop the site of the failed multi-million-dollar tourism complex project in Gizo.

Provincial Secretary (PS) Jeffery Wickham told Island Sun that the provincial government has done all they can in recent years to get the project up and running.

“We are not going to spend our resources investigating what has been a 7 year in waiting.

“We are obliged to know why this project has stalled for this many years but it seems no one is interested in talking to us.

“So, the onus is on the ministries responsible to tell us what is going on,” said Wickham.

He said Western provincial government (WPG) cannot continue to see each day for seven years the sickening incomplete concrete structure.

“So being responsible we must find an alternative developer.”

He said the Ministry of Tourism is fully responsible to initiate investigation but the Province has an alternative plan for the Tourism office.

“We have not forgotten the importance of the Tourism industry in the West. In fact the project is being held up for some 6/7 years by the national government, not our fault.”

“That’s a matter for the Ministry of tourism and Ministry of finance to consider but we are only a recipient of the project.”

Meanwhile concerned citizens of Western province say the Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Finance have failed to carry-out their investigation into the failed project of the million-dollar tourism complex project in Gizo.

A spokesman Mr Koipala Frederick said the incomplete structure stands as a witness to corruption and poor governance that is rife in the country and the silence is deafening.

This project was a three-year national project which works should have commenced in 2014, but still there is no investigation carried out to find out why there is a delay to the building.

SECRET SALE

Written by
Admin
-
0

-HCC sells Biosecurity incinerator land off to Asian without consulting Ministry

THE Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) in the strongest term condemns the action taken by the Honiara City Council (HCC) to sell off its piece of land that houses the Biosecurity incinerator at Ranadi, east of Honiara.

This was after MAL found out that the land was sold out by HCC to an Asian without the ministry’s knowledge.

“The land is used for destruction of all garbage remove from international vessels and aircraft coming into Solomon Islands,” Director of Biosecurity of MAL, Francis Tsatsia said in a strongly-worded statement.

“It’s a requirement that garbage of this sort must be offloaded and incinerated as biosecurity risk is very high,” Tsatsia added.

“Normal garbage for incinerator in this premises are plants and plant products and animal and their products,”

Permanent Secretary Ethel Tebengi Frances said tshe is very disappointed about the action taken by HCC to sell off the land without consulting her ministry.

“At least the courtesy to inform us so we can negotiate with them (HCC),” Frances said.

“This is a threat to national security of this country during these COVID-19 pandemic as wastes from flights into the country poses a huge threat,” she added.

Frances said MAL will not go down without a fight to retain this piece of land for our national security.

“There had been reports of the fence being removed and our staff being harassed. It is unacceptable,” Frances said.

Tsatsia added: “There was no communication between MAL, BSI and HCC or at least some discussions with BSI as they have been using the site for over 20 years now.

“HCC knows the land and that it’s been a very important and essential for Biosecurity operations.

“The area is best suited for BSI operation.

“It’s away from residential properties and has good security fencing.

“MAL has invested a lot of money for treatment facilities of imported products not meeting SI standards.

“The area has been used for over twenty years. Facilities here include a building for chemical storage, a room for animal product treatment and an incinerator for general garbage disposal.

“It is very risky and difficult for the department in this circumstances and the continuous threat to COVID-19 to our front line staff.

“This operation is not only protecting Solomon Islands from further incursion of pest and diseases through garbage remove for foreign vessel and international aircraft but also has been a revenue earner for the Solomon Islands Government by way of fees and charges.”

He said that the Ministry will try and pursue to take the land back for Biosecurity treatment operation adding this should be done not only under public interests but to safeguard Solomon Islands from the risk of new pest and disease coming in to the country Biosecurity regulated risk items.

This HCC’s illegal sale came just days after the council leadership went before the Public Accounts Committee to answer questions over some of its illegal handling of council matters.

Premier Manetiva sticks to no-logging stand

Written by
Alfred Pagepitu
-
0

CENTRAL Islands Province Premier Stanley Manetiva has issued a directive halting logging in Nautuha district, Boli passage.

Manetiva yesterday was responding to land owners of Nautuha who were asking his government to allow logging to take place on their land.

He said his government is aware of the logging proposal but is not welcoming any logging to operate in the province.

“Based on our policies and business audiences, we will not allow any foreign or locals to operate logging activities.

“The Central Islands provincial government remains standing by not allowing any logging operations to any customary land.

“My government plans are to develop Ngella in tourism and boost Agriculture and Fisheries but logging and mining.

“Central provincial government operates within the laws to deliver the right infrastructure and services in our provinces.

Our policy still maintained its stand ‘no to logging in Ngella and Central province.”

Manetiva calls on the people of Ngella to work closely with the provincial government together to say ‘no’ to logging activities in the province.

“My government will not support any decision for logging in Ngella,” said Manetiva.

Landowners want GG to intervene

Written by
Eddie Osifelo
-
0
Governor General Sir David Vunagi

BY EDDIE OSIFELO

A GROUP of concerned forest resource owners from Shortlands and Choiseul is making an appeal to the Governor General Sir David Vunagi.

They kindly asked Sir David to inquire into the allegations of collusion between the Solomon Forest Association, its President and Executive Members, the Attorney General Chambers and the Commissioner of Forest and the Forestry Office on alleged organized crimes and “underhanded” dealings that caused the nation to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.

Landowners from Kubobangara Customary Land and Kubongava Customary Land in South Choiseul say they have gone through many avenues, legally and constitutionally, but authorities lacked the enthusiasm to correct the wrongs.

“Consider, these wrongs was made in 2007 and now is 2021, a 14-year span, Governments, both past and present did not show any enthusiasm in making corrections to the wrongs,” they said.

A group of Choiseul Landowners claimed that logging companies who are SFA members did not pay them their royalties from shipment of logs harvested from their forest and their other dues.

“Matter was brought to the court, Court Injunction Orders was obtained, proceeds was released by Consent Orders signed by the Attorney General Chambers.

“No matter how the landowners defend their resources from unscrupulous logging companies, foreign logging companies is being shielded by Solomon Forest Association, by a web of complicated ‘contract’, ‘agreement’and ‘deed’, a collusion between Solomon Forest Association, it President, Executives and Members, the Commissioner of Forest, the Attorney General Chambers and the Registrar of Lands and Titles,” they said.

Among the allegations are:

1.   Felling License are issued without going through the Timber Rights Acquisitions procedure.

2.   Grant of Profits was issued to fraudsters or when the land is under caveat.

3.  Logging operations still continue and logs are exported when there are existing court injunction orders.

4.    Awarding Sale Order without advertising for tender.

5.  Proceeds from Export are released by Consent Orders signed by the Attorney General Chambers.

6.   Logging equipment and assets seized do not have any record that the logging equipment and assets seized are being auctioned off.

7.   Felling of protected species of tree (Tubi) and exporting protected species logs.

8.   Smuggling of logs and evasion of export duties.

The landowners said reports lodged with the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, the Criminal Investigation Department, Fraud Unit, JANUS, from 2014 to date, the case is still pending, excuse, high profile case.

They believed God has chosen our Governor General as the Head of State.

“May the Governor General exercise the Executive Authority of the People of the People of Solomon Islands in the betterment of Solomon Islands,” one of the landowners said.

However, Private Secretary of Government House, Rawcliffe Ziza said it is bit rare for the Governor General to intervene in this kind of case because it is the matter of court to determine.

Ziza, a lawyer by profession, said whatever disagreements must follow the process because it is a dispute between individuals or groups with the authorities.

He said in his experience has not come across such issue where the Governor General intervene in it.

Fatal bomb blast still investigated

Written by
Jennifer Kusapa
-
0

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

INVESTIGATIONS into the bomb incident in Honiara that killed two expatriates last year is still to be completed.

Police Commissioner, Mostyn Mangau confirmed this when responding to a question at his weekly press conference last week.

He said investigators are yet to finalise their findings on that incident, which occurred on September 20, 2020 in a residential area at Tasahe, in West Honiara.

The bomb blast incident involved two expats, a dual New Zealand -Irish citizen and an Australian national working for the non-government organisation, the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) on a non-technical survey of explosive remnants of World War Two in Solomon Islands.

Both died from the blast at the office of the project located within the residential area.

Police said the project was here to involve in non-technical survey for data purposes and they were supposed not to remove explosives or bombs found during their survey.

Prior to that incident, police were not aware of the fact the two expats removed bombs from their location, until the incident that day.

Mangau said Solomon Island is one of the heavy battle grounds during World War II and bombs are everywhere.

“Thus, people need to work together with the police once they see any bomb in their location.”

Police also said that after the incident and after attending to the scene, the responsible department within the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force moved all other unexploded ordnances discovered at the NPA residence at Tasahe to Hell’s Point for disposal.

New health bill on the way

Written by
Mavis Podokolo
-
0
Parliament

BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO

Government is looking forward to tabling the Public Health Emergency Bill in parliament so it can commence before State of Public Emergency ends.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare echoed this Monday.

 “It is the intention of my government to table the Public Health Emergency Bill in Parliament so that it can be commenced before the expiry of the State of Public Emergency on 24th March 2021,” Sogavare said.

He said this week’s Consultations for remaining provinces will continue to be followed by consultations with colleagues from the Office of the Opposition and Independent Groups after which the Bill will be finalized for submission to Parliament.

Sogavare said consultation on the new Public Health Emergency Bill is progressing well.

“The Bills Taskforce team met with churches represented by the Solomon Islands Christian Association (SICA) and Solomon Islands Full Gospel Association (SIFGA) last week.

“Our churches are important partners of the government in the fight against COVID-19 and in the broader socio-economic and spiritual development of the country,” he said.

Call for audit on Kukum Market

Written by
Eddie Osifelo
-
0
Former Honiara City Council Clerk Rence Sore. Photo: Charles Kadamana

By EDDIE OSIFELO

A HONIARA resident, John Langi calls on Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare to order an audit investigation into the incomplete Kukum market in East Honiara.

This was after a construction company believed to be owned by one of the Honiara City Councillors, could not complete the project within the time line, due to lack of finance.

National Government has injected $1.3 million under the Economic Stimulus Project plus Honiara City Council’s estimated $1.2 million towards the Kukum market project last year.

The World Bank provided assistance also under the CAUSE project towards the market facelift as well.

Island Sun understands workers of CAUSE project had started work on slapping the pavement outside the main building of the market this month.

However, Langi said work on the main market building is dormant now.

He said the PM needs to order an audit investigation to justify the money spent already on the project uplift.

Langi alleged the council has outstanding debts with construction companies, therefore it could not continue with the work this year.

HCC Clerk Rence Sore admitted last December that they expected to complete the building before end of 2020 but that was not possible.

Sore said they are likely to complete the market project in the first quarter of this year and should be opened for use straight away.

He said in terms of finance, they have already used up all funding support provided by National Government, World Bank and HCC.

“Since we have already used up that funding support, we are now relying entirely on HCC revenue to complete the building.

“Due to COVID-19, we find it difficult to secure additional support from other donors or partners,” he said.

However, Sore believes they are hoping to complete the building using HCC revenue collections by late January or early February.

But to date, there was no work on the project.

Use of plastic bag to be banned soon

Written by
Admin
-
0
Minister of Environment, Titus Fika.

BY BEN BILUA

THE use of plastic bags is expected to be banned soon as government begins tough measures on waste management.

Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology Titus Fika made the announcement during the launching of Solomon Island Recyclers and Waste Management Association 10-year strategic plan last week.

He said amendment has been made to the Environment Act to ban the single use of plastic bags.

Fika said the decision was made to compliment efforts towards addressing solid waste issue in the country.

He said the flow of wastes to the natural environment is so alarming that immediate intervention should be carried out to mitigate the issue.

Fika adds that solid wastes shipped to the islands on annual basis is another ongoing issue that needs to be stopped.

“We still need to make significant and drastic improvements to waste and pollution management in the country because our streets, rivers, streams and sea are littered with all of waste disposed inappropriately,” he said.

Fika said the recent heavy rain exposes the weakness of our waste management system and the indifferent attitude of the public at large towards waste management.

He said close collaborations between provincial governments, Honiara City Council and the National Government is paramount to address the waste management.

Zero covid-19 case

Written by
Mavis Podokolo
-
0

BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO 

THE country has all its covid-19 cases becoming negative, meaning there is zero case of the virus in country.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare confirmed this in his national address yesterday.

“I am happy to announce that our nationally reported cases of covid-19 positive cases remain at 18.

“All 18 cases are now negative. 14 have been discharged to the community. Four are still at the Central Field hospital. They will be released after they have  three consecutive negative tests seven days apart following their last positive test.

“This is a tremendous achievement. It is an excellent testament to the effectiveness of our pre-departure protocol on covid-19.

“It also gives due credit to all travelers to Solomon Islands who complied with our requirements. Thank you,” said Sogavare.

He said six reactivation cases of covid-19 from the last flight from Manila that came in on January 21, 2021 have also been picked up.

“All six cases tested positive in our GeneXpert machine but tested negative with the qPCR machine. This indicates extremely low levels of virus fragments in the body that are unlikely to infect other people.

“All six cases also had antibodies in their system indicating they had all been exposed to covid-19 before they arrived in Solomon Islands and therefore have developed some protection against further COVID-19 infection.

“All six cases have already tested negative on re-swabbing immediate after their positive tests,” said Sogavare.

He said they will be released after having three three consecutive negative tests taken seven days apart.

“Fellow citizens, we do not put the re-activation cases into the central field hospital which is reserved for the new positive covid-19 cases.

“These cases are isolated in our other quarantine stations on advice from our health experts. They do not pose infection risks to others due to the extremely low viral load that were only picked up by the extremely sensitive GeneXpert machine while negative on the qPCR machine which is currently the Gold Standard for covid-19 tests.

“Let me assure the public, these same health experts that have been responsible for keeping our country safe want to ensure all reactivation cases are managed at different locations and they will be released following the same protocol of 3 consecutive negative test after their last GeneXpert positive tests.

“Let me also assure the public we do not have any community transmission of covid-19 in Solomon Islands,” said Sogavare.

Cabinet approves covid-19 vaccination policy

Written by
Mavis Podokolo
-
0
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. Photo supplied.

BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO 

YESTERDAY cabinet approved the national policy on covid-19 vaccination.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, in his national address said, “I am pleased to inform you all that my Cabinet has approved the National Policy on covid-19 vaccination yesterday afternoon.”

He said following the approval the Ministry of Health and Medical Services with the support from the COVID-19 National Coordinating Committee and its Technical Working Group on Vaccines have been directed by Cabinet to finalise the implementation plan for rolling out the COVID-19 vaccination programme in Solomon Islands.

Sogavare said the impact of the covid-19 vaccines in reducing both the numbers of new cases of covid-19 infections as well as the seriousness of covid-19 infections is nothing short of miraculous in many countries that had rolled out their vaccination programmes.

He said there is still a lot more work needs to be done in finalising the country’s roll out plans but early information on the levels of side effects have been extremely encouraging and on the level of protection extremely heartening

“It is our hope that of much of the world’s populations can be vaccinated this year, so that we could perhaps see a return to some normality in travel by 2022.

“To date we have been offered 108,000 does of the AstraZeneca vaccine by the COVAX Facility. My government is in the process of negotiating procurement of additional doses of the vaccine,” said Sogavare.

He said at the moment the detail plans to roll out the vaccine is in progress.

Sogavare stressed a communication strategy to support awareness about the vaccine programme is also being finalised by the Ministry of Health. This includes important information about the vaccine target groups for the first vaccination.

“Awareness information about covid-19 vaccines and our vaccination programme will start to appear on all media channels from this week,” he said.

1...9989991,000...1,669Page 999 of 1,669