Dear Editor – I wish to question why a visit the prime minister has promised to make to Burns Creek community five months ago has not taken place.
At the beginning of the year the prime minister sent senior officers from his office to inform Burns Creek leaders of the prime minister’s intended visit. The leaders then started organising the community. The preparations included an internal security arrangement to ensure there was no disturbance generally of any kind during the visit.
The visit was going to take place just weeks after the community was informed, so preparations by the community for the visit kicked off straight away.
The offices of his senior secretaries including the SSPM have become the focal point for all communication regarding the visit.
But then the last parliament meeting was approaching so the secretaries informed the community it was not possible as planned, but the visit would take place straight after the parliament meeting.
After the meeting the secretaries just kept promising the visit was going to take place, but have not indicated a date.
In the last two months we have heard nothing from the PMO, and now believe that the visit is just one of those false promises the government has made to the people since taking office.
The PMO should understand that we never requested the visit, it was one proposed by the PM himself, so how can the PMO be so discourteous in not letting the community know the cause for not making the visit as promised?
However, the PM’s visit is one we have anticipated with great interest, as we would want to hear from the PM his government’s policy in addressing the pressing issues that continue to impact the lives of our people under the current poor economic and social conditions.
We want to hear from him, his government’s plans to deal with squatter settlements in and around Honiara, and his promises to take economic development to the rural areas of the country.
We want to hear how his government will work at the important linkages between rural development and urban development, so as to address the issues of continuing urban drift from the rural areas into the squatter settlements, lack of employment for our people, the likely urbanization of the poor in the squatter settlements, and a rather stagnant peace building process that is getting nowhere.
Can the PMO enlighten us on what its actual position is regarding the proposed visit?
Peter Usi
Burns Creek community
