PARU hits out at GCU statement on US SCALE Program
PREMIERS Advisory and Research Unit (PARU) has confirmed that all the activities of USAID-SCALE are continuing without slowing down.
“The USAID SCALE project is flowing,” confirmed Richie Olita, of PARU.
This clarification was made by PARU in response to disinformation by the Government Communication Unit (GCU) which has attempted to confuse the people of Malaita.
In a statement this week, GCU claimed that MFAET has no information on the USAID-SCALE project and tried to imply that it will not happen.
But PARU made it clear that SCALE has been happening and is continuing to happen.
PARU spokesman Richie Olita said “Winrock has already toured the wards in Malaita mainland except for MOI. GPTech has already visited sites in Gwaigeo and Malu’u and is looking to do that for Bina and Atori. We all know that USAID SCALE is already renting offices and employing people since the beginning of this year. USAID SCALE is flowing.”
USAID SCALE is the commitment of USD25 million to 5 components. All of these components are being implemented by private companies since the end of 2020.
These 5 components have employed Solomon Islanders to work in country because DCGA has blocked the entry of all the expatriates so far.
“DCGA is making the excuse that it is not aware of the project. But the PMO was represented by Bernard Bata’anisia at the all-SCALE meeting in Auki 2 weeks ago. And the PS of Ministry of Planning and her staff ran the meeting.” Olita said.
At this meeting Bata’anisia was recorded as saying “Now we have heard everything, all that is left is for us to work together to make it proceed”.
Also PS Sulu from Ministry of Planning concluded with a statement that the meeting had been “Heart-warming.”
Olita reiterated that the 5 components are all active and continue to do their work despite the disinformation from GCU.
- SCALE-Natural Resource Management (NRM) is helping with natural resource management. It is implemented by Winrock International who has its offices in Auki NPF building and is led in the country by Dr Morgan Wairiu who is a former PS and a former Director of USP PACE-SD. He resigned from USP and returned home from Fiji in January this year to take up the position of Deputy Chief of Party in Winrock’s office in Auki. There are more than 10 other employees and consultants in Auki for SCALE-NRM.
- SCALE-Market Systems Partnership (MSP) is working on supporting private sector actors via capital and connections to markets. It is being implemented by DAI Ltd and has engaged several national Solomon Islands consultants working in both Honiara and Malaita. It has a clear focus on kava, cocoa and coconut oil.
- SCALE-Trade and Investment (T&I) is working on the investment and trade environment and has been having discussions with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry since the beginning of the year. It has engaged several Solomon Islands consultants to develop projects which will support trade and investment. They have an office in Honiara.
- SCALE-Architecture and Investment (A&E) is focused on doing design and engineering for infrastructure. It has two classes of projects which it works on – the first is small scale projects which cost under USD500,000 (SBD4million). And the other is large scale project which are larger than USD500,000. For those project selected under USD500,000, the other SCALE component called SCALE-SSC will fund them. For those larger projects that are found to be feasible and attractive but they cost more than USD500,000, other sources outside of SCALE will be used. The company GPTEch has a team of five Solomon Islands employees that work on this between Malaita and Honiara.
- SCALE-Small Scale Construction (SSC) is focused on construction of small scale projects identified by SCALE A&E (component 4). SSC will work to procure and fund construction of these small projects based on the recommendation of A&E. This is funded from the Pacific American Fund which is being implemented by Social Solutions International (SSI).
Olita said that all these companies employ Solomon Islanders and are already contributing to the livelihood of Solomon Islands professionals, there are team members from most of the Provinces in Solomon Islands.
“There are already more than 30 fulltime Solomon Islands employees that are working on these programmes and helping design development activities for our people. This is happening since last year 2020 even though DCGA has been blocking and delaying the arrival of expats. This is a good sign of how USAID is using local Solomon Islanders and making a difference through “direct implementation”.
Olita stated “Let me be very clear. All this information was made public in the USAID SCALE meeting last 2 weeks ago which was held online and in the Green House in Auki. All this information was made public and specifically spelled out. There is nothing hidden from Mala Province or indeed the Ministries in Honiara.”
He went on to say “Please GCU stop interfering with the desires of the people of Malaita for development. You in Honiara have been ignoring the plight of Malaita for decades, and now you are trying to stop our good friends from USA. This is wrong”.
