Dear Editor – Your front page of Issue No.5935 on Tuesday 4th August, headlined “Drivers Stage Protest”, is the tip of a bigger iceberg which, if not addressed immediately, could make Solomon Islands the Uganda of the Pacific region at some future date.
This was where locals who had been deprived of economic opportunities in their own country, took up arms and chased Asians out of their country.
The bigger question is what is the government doing to reserve business opportunities for its people?
Up to this day, nothing!
There were colonial laws which tried to ensure this. We had for instance, the area of transport business used to be reserved only for Solomon Islanders.
Additionally, retailed business as distinct from wholesale business, was reserved only for Solomon Islanders.
What has happened to these laws one wonders? The transport industry is now dominated by expatriate Asians who often married locals purposely to register their business (existing laws must be amended to prevent this.)
The same thing and even worse is true with regards to the wholesale/retail business.
The Asian expatriates are even selling betel nut and lime and leaf, and green coconut in their retail stores.
What is the government and our law makers doing about these issues? Nothing! If the problem is that the laws are inadequate in preventing foreigners from involving in business areas reserved only for Solomon Islanders, then they must be amended to make them fool proof.
If new laws are needed due to passage of time and improved technology, make the laws.
This is essentially what Parliament is all about. And Parliament’s prime responsibility of making laws (not accountants!) will be made easier by a government that is sensitive to such needs of the people as these.
Government must be sensitive to areas where people need laws to protect their needs.
The government must then be active in designing the laws for Parliament to approve.
This is why Parliament must meet for most of the year and only go on recess for a short time. (Ours seems to be the reverse of this.)
Let us strictly apply any existing laws on the issue at hand. If these need amendment to remove any loop holes that are currently exploited, this must be made immediately.
If new laws are needed, let us make them at once.
We must also strictly apply our laws for our own good.
Gabriel Taloikwai
Honiara
