BY SAMIE WAIKORI
Leader of the Independent Group in Parliament and Member of Parliament for East Malaita, Manasseh Maelanga, is calling for a shift away from the culture of handouts and dependency on the Rural Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
He made this call when speaking during the Sine Die Motion in parliament this week; highlighting the negative impact the culture has had on the people.
“For too long, our people have been trapped in a cycle of dependency.
“We’ve become too comfortable with handouts, and there’s now an over-reliance on constituency development funds and direct cash assistance from Members of Parliament,” Maelanga said.
While acknowledging that these interventions were intended as short-term relief, Maelanga emphasized that they were never meant to become a permanent way of life.
“We must begin a deliberate shift away from this culture.
“It has weakened initiative, stifled innovation, and reduced productivity,” he said.
The Independent Leader also supported the caution expressed by former Prime Minister and MP for East Choiseul, Manasseh Sogavare, who warned Parliament against relying on grants without taking the lead in the country’s development.
Maelanga said the current approach has not worked, and he believes it will not work in the future either.
Instead, Maelanga stressed the importance of building strong, sustainable institutions that are government-backed, clearly mandated, professionally managed, and rooted in integrity.
“These institutions must not exist only on paper. They must be empowered to design and implement real programs that improve basic services in health, education, infrastructure, agriculture, and economic participation,” he said.
He added that while Members of Parliament and governments will come and go, these institutions must endure.
“They must outlast political cycles. They must stand firm as the permanent pillars that serve our people long after today’s leaders have left this house,” Maelanga said.
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