Dear Editor – I was not in a good position to aware of the Solomon Islands development context as we ready to adopt this new Federal System.
There are still a lot of mix feelings among people today concerning how do we excel to this new chapter.
I wrote about the development context for our country two years ago, analysis about the development context of our country.
This is what I said then:
Despite plenty of natural resources, the Solomon Islands have faced ongoing development challenges since attaining its independence from Britain in 1978.
Due to its relatively small size, geographic isolation and exposure to natural disaster, the island archipelago’s development has been constrained by many of the same inherent natural vulnerabilities faced by other Pacific neighbours.
The bulk of the population remains dependent upon agriculture, fishing, and forestry, for at least part of its livelihood, and most manufactured goods and petroleum products are imported.
Government in the Solomon Islands has often been characterised by weak political parties and highly unstable parliamentary coalitions, subject to frequent motions of no confidence.
A further by-product of the history of instability is the relatively high number of government ministries, 24, in a parliament of just 50 seats.
In recent years, political stability has been hampered further by civil unrest and heightened ethnic tensions.
In 2003, continued outbreaks of ethnic violence led the then Prime Minister Sir Allan Kemakeza to request the assistance of Australia in re-establishing law and order.
Subsequently, an Australian-led multinational force, the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), arrived to restore peace and disarm ethnic militias.
RAMSI____s efforts to restore law and order and economic stability have been generally effective and this has led to improved economic performance.
The Solomon Islands’ economy remains heavily reliant on timber exports, which are vulnerable to price fluctuations, though, in 2010, the Ministry of Finance and Treasury achieved a historical earning of more than $1 billion in revenue.
However, much of this economic growth this has been offset by population increase (the country’s population was estimated at 523,000 in 2009).
This has raised pressure on infrastructure and employment, as well as growing environmental concerns for the islands future sustainable development.
Furthermore, there is the scary prospect of commercially viable forest resources becoming exhausted in the near future.
Unless attempts to diversify the economy improve, the anticipated decline of the Solomon Islands’ logging industry looks likely to have a significant impact on government revenue and economic growth.
From the above analysis, let me remind and asked you the Government five things.
1. Please consider the increase of the population.
2. Why the Government has often been characterised by weak political parties and highly unstable parliamentary coalitions, subject to frequent motions of no confidence?
3. Why the price of goods often fluctuate?
4. Why is our economy regarded as fragile?
5. Why most manufactured goods and petroleum products are imported?
I think this is a right time for all the citizens of this country to think globally rather than think selfishly.
The world we lived today is so simple and fine, nothing is to do with the world.
So let all nine brothers of this nation sit together and share with one common goal and one common vision for the betterment of this country.
I just want to know where did our country is up to now, even though RAMSI will leave us.
Did we accommodate our people development & freedom safely?
Alden Ado
Honiara
