BY SAMIE WAIKORI
AUKI
PREMIER of Malaita province Daniel Suidani yesterday handed over a newly purchased land cruiser vehicle to the Provincial Law Enforcement team.
Speaking during handover, he said the procurement of the vehicle was made through MPG covid-19 allocated fund to help out in logistics in the province.
He said the vehicle will be used by the Provincial law Enforcement team in Auki.
Suidani said securing the vehicle also strengthens MPG’s logistics as an important asset to its service delivery especially during this time of coronavirus.
He said also under a similar fund, MPG purchased another brand new landcruiser for Kilu’ufi hospital in Auki.
Suidani said work on installment of required apparatus on the vehicle is going on in Honiara as the vehicle will be used as an ambulance.
He said the vehicle will be delivered to Auki and handed over to the management of the hospital.
Suidani said MPG is ardent to purchase the two new brand land cruisers as they will boost logistics support to provide service to the people and government of Malaita province.
On that note, he explained that the fund used to purchase the vehicles is part of MPG allocated fund for covid-19 under the 2020/2021 revise budget to establish two quarantine centres in the province.
Thus, Suidani said they were unable to build the quarantine sites due to bigger plans later realised earmarked for each site.
He said for Kilu’ufi hospital site, it was due to the need to expand Kilu’ufi Hospital; a new building project to be funded by JICA.
“At Aligegeo PSS, it’s not possible due to the ongoing security and malpractices affecting the school that we could not able to go ahead.
“In addition, the MARA government is looking at turning Aligegeo PSS into a tertiary learning institute to support the growing population of Malaita province.
“Because of those issues, my government reallocated the funds budgeted for quarantine sites to procure two land cruiser vehicles from Ela Motors,” Suidani said.
He said this decision was made in light of the difficulties his government encountered during the covid-19 response operation to ward 14 at the beginning of this year.
“Where we have received limited logistic support from national government, thus the MARA government has to take on the responsibility,” Suidani said.
