THE Democratic Coalition Government for Advancement (DCGA) continues to seriously recognise the rural sector development as stated in the 2021 budget.
Minister for Finance and Treasury Harry Kuma told the parliament when he presented the 2021 Appropriation Bill 2021, Tuesday.
“Mr. Speaker, as this Honorable House would fully appreciate, the Solomon Islands cannot realise its development and growth potential if the 86 percent of the population who live in villages with poor access to transport, communication technologies, and other much-needed infrastructure services are left out.”
Kuma said that it needs to be emphasized that increased rural development is central to the overall development of this nation.
“Ensuring quality infrastructure is important not only for faster economic growth, but also to ensure inclusive growth.
“By inclusive growth, we mean that the majority of our people, especially those in the rural communities must also share the benefits of growth,” Kuma added.
He said that the government strongly believes that inclusive growth will lead to the alleviation of poverty and reduction in income inequality in the country.
Based on this conviction, Kuma said the government had decided to allocate $342 million, including $90 million from the People Republic of China (PRC) to support rural development and growth initiatives through the constituency development program to establish small business, construct infrastructures, and create employment opportunities in the rural areas.
