BY GEORGINA KEKEA
PRIME Minister Rick Houenipwela has stressed his disappointment over a solar hybrid power generation project supposedly for Solomon Islands National University (SINU).
PM Hou says Solomon Islands has lost out over the years on hundreds of similar opportunities and offers by many of Solomon Islands’ development partners and friends, only because officials and staff did not take the necessary follow up actions.
Hou made specific reference to a gift by President Tsai Ing-Wen of Taiwan to SINU during her state visit last November.
The gift, valued at USD$1million, is a solar hybrid power generation project that was supposed to assist the local university.
Hou says to date, the ROC embassy in Honiara, has not had any feed-back from neither SINU nor the Ministry responsible on this offer, despite the Embassy continuing requests for information.
“It’s not excusable,” Hou says.
He said he will be making a follow up with Chairman of the SINU Council on this matter.
PM Hou said the President of ROC (Taiwan) is not amused by this conduct so he intends to summon those concerned to explain their side of the story.
Meanwhile in Taiwan, President Tsai Ing-wen on May 21 said she will continue working with Prime Minister Hou to promote mutually beneficial collaboration and exchanges between Taiwan and Solomon Islands.
During her visit to Solomon Islands in November 2017, President Tsai Ing-Wen had also included SINU into their list of partners for another scholarship program they co-sponsor with the Pacific Islands Forum.
PM Hou says this sort of attitude from senior management of a premier institution such as SINU is pathetic, it’s inexcusable and cannot be tolerated.
