Indigenous Chamber of Commerce Trade and Industry for Solomon Islands (ICCTISI) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Charles Dausabea is calling on Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare to consider indigenous Solomon Islanders in its plan to invest in poultry.
Mr. Dausabea made the comment following announcement made by PM Sogavare to bring in a foreign investor to do poultry business in the country.
The ICCTISI CEO said the idea of bringing in a foreigner to run poultry business in the country has not gone down well with over 200 local poultry farmers who are members of the ICCTISI.
He said bringing in a foreign company to invest in poultry in the country will wipe out many local struggling poultry farmers in the country.
He said the government should not over looked the local poultry farmers where he said all the local indigenous poultry farmers need to step up their poultry business is a little support and recognition from the government.
He said these local farmers are struggling all alone and the least they expect from the government of the day is to offer a foreigner to take over poultry industry in the country.
“Almost all the resources are given to foreigners; my question now is what is left for our indigenous people?”
“Foreigners now taking over our copra industry, logging industry, shipping industry and many more business areas that we indigenous people are capable of handling on our own.
“My fear is that the direct investment is in poultry an area where local farmers are relying on for the past three decades for their survival will be affected soon should the government go ahead and persuade the idea to bring in a foreign company to run poultry industry in the country.
“One of our local poultry farmers has facilities to operate chicken, package chicken and I think the government should just support the local farmer in this area rather than looking for a foreign company to come and take up our space,” he said.
He said should government plan to bring in foreigner investor to run poultry in the country, the foreign company should buy chicken from the local farmers in a much better price compared to their current selling price at the market.
“The fear now is that if the foreign company buys chicken at a lower price from the price that locals use to sell their chicken then it will definitely affect the local poultry farmers in the country,” he said.
By WILSON SAENI
In Auki
