PM: Culture of dependency affects economy
By FOLLET JOHN,
Newsroom, Honiara.
PRIME Minister Manasseh Sogavare said the culture of dependency has affected the country’s economy.
Mr Sogavare made this statement when he visited members of the West Guadalcanal Development Association (WGDA) at Pisei in North-West Guadalcanal this week.
He said the practice has left many to contribute less and less in economic development given the need for more Solomon Islanders to contribute to the economic development of the country.
He said the WGDA had set a classic example of great initiative which engaged people in agricultural activities that contributed to positive economic development and financial self-reliance.
“The site visit was useful for government leaders to engage at the rural level and to see first-hand what is happening on the ground that will help in focusing government policies in the right direction,” Mr Sogavare said.
The Prime Minister also congratulated the executive and members of the NWGDA for setting a benchmark for others to follow.
According to Benjamin Afuga, we must teach our children, our family members and tribe that we can only earn money by working for it.
“I see the dependency culture as an inherited norm so to avoid or mitigate this takes a lot of things but education and awareness remains the two biggest resolutions,” he said.
Mr Afuga said our ancestors toiled the land together, shared the profits together and sweat to gain, however the practice has been destroyed by the introduction of free hand-outs based on politics, and this is what destroyed our cooperative practices.
“It is quite difficult to resolve this issue because any government of the day needs the free hand outs (RCDF) as their tickets for the next election, thus abolishing it will mean open the exit door for them,” he said.
