Retired Anglican bishop Canadian Terry Brown has renewed his call to the national government needs to create job more opportunities in the rural areas and decentralise development in order to reduce urban drift.
Bishop Terry, who served in the country for many years, including being a bishop of Malaita said, the government has an obligation to develop the rural and provincial urban centres.
He said, creating employment for young people in places all around the country, not just Honiara, needs to be a priority.
“Decentralization is the most effective way to reducing or preventing urban drift,” he said.
Terry appealed to the Sogavare led Democratic for Coalition Change (DCC) Government should to only recruit locals and not foreigners.
“It’s not good to see Asians working in rural areas on jobs that can be easily filled by locals,” he said.
“This government should put strict control on foreign workers and develop the local labour force. Foreign companies should not be allowed to bring workers in.
“The government could also have a job creation program. Certainly, some natural resources can be used, at a sustainable level, as they are also held in trust for future generations.
He added, logging is already beyond sustainable levels and mining can be incredibly environmentally destructive and the wrong people pocket the profits.
He stressed that government should establish more local fishing fleets and stop foreign fishing fleets.
“Because the foreign fleets do not hire local people,” Bishop Terry said.
He added, logging is already beyond sustainable levels and mining can be incredibly environmentally destructive and the wrong people pocket the profits.
Terry said, government is too fixed on big development projects that will bring in income to government but not provide much employment or local income.
By ELLIOT DAWEA
