By Loretta Brigidia Manele
A week-long “Provincial Assemblies, Speakers and Clerks Induction” kicked off on Monday, 2nd Dec at the King Solomon Hotel conference room.
Mozammel Haque, UNDP’s Project Manager for Local governance in Solomon Islands in a brief interview told the paper that the induction is purposely for provincial speakers and clerks to have a clear understanding of their roles and functions aligned related to their work.
“We are inviting all the provincial speakers and the clerks to join us to have a clear understanding about the roles and functions aligning with the policy, procedure and the standing order and financial management ordinance, everything they need to know so that they can function better”
Haque stated that they have also organized a briefing session with parliament, the speaker’s office and the parliament clerk’s office and will also have the provincial speakers and clerks observe the parliamentary session scheduled for today live so they can understand the process, procedure and functions of parliament.
“When they go back with the knowledge they gained at the sessions and practical briefing from the national parliament, it is expected that they will perform better in terms of organizing the committees, particularly the public accounts committee, and organizing and dealing with the different sessions of the provincial assemblies”
Haque added that this is so that they can play an effective role as an impartial person and effectively run their respective provincial assemblies.
He expressed that they have invited all speakers and clerks from all nine provincial governments and are fortunate that they all could manage to attend the week-long program that will end on Friday, 6th Dec.
Haque explained that this program started on Mon, 2nd Dec and while the first two days will be in door sessions of presentations, for the remaining 3 days, the speakers and clerks will go to parliament to observe.
This program is funded by the European Union (EU) and facilitated by UNDP and Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening (MPGIS).
