THE Ambassador of Japan to Solomon Islands, Miwa Yoshiaki has announced the arrival of 67 Lucas milling machines to assist the Ministry of Forestry and Research and local resources owners to process own timbers in an effort to ensure sustainable development of forest resources.
Ambassador Yoshiaki made the announcement on Monday at a Japan Embassy/Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-organized press tour to the Valued Added Timber Association (VATA) Henderson Yard.
The milling machines were provided through Japan’s Grant Aid for Economic and Social Development as part of JICA’s Project on Capacity Development for Sustainable Forest Resource Management (SMRM).
The 75 Lucas milling machines will be given to 67 members of the Value-Added Timber Association VATA in all provinces who have met the VATA legal business requirements.
Ambassador Yoshiaki said he believes that the arrival of the 67 Lucas mills will help communities to process their own timbers to ensure the sustainable development of their native forests.
‘’Sustainable development and self-sustenance are the most important things in our cooperation with developing countries and through this kind of cooperation, we want to see high-quality development which is very important.
‘’The beginning of these projects was the sustainable forest resources management development projects conducted in two communities. One in Komuniboli Community in Guadalcanal Province and the other in Falake Community in Malaita Province.
“Because of the importance of these projects, we decided to fund them using our Embassy’s grant assistance scheme and we are now following up on these projects.
‘’One of our follow-up projects is the donation of 67 Lucas saw mills and another follow up in Falake is using our grassroots grant to construct the Hydro power plant in Falake community. By using this hydro power, they can operate the Lucas mills and for other purposes for their benefit.”
Ambassador Yoshiaki said his government expects the 75 Lucas milling machines will contribute to the development of the forestry sector and the national economy.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Forestry and Research, Richard Raomae thanked the Japanese Embassy for its partnership in assisting forestry resources owners.
‘’I thank the Japanese Embassy for the cooperation and partnership and we are looking forward for the full utilization of the 75 Lucas milling machines. The government of the day is really promoting downstream-processing to increase value-added products so as to reduce the export of round logs and sustain forest resources in the long-term.”
PS Raomae added that with the arrival of these milling machines, the VATA Yard with the Ministry of Forestry and Research will look at expanding the VATA Yard in Noro, Western Province.
The delegation ended the tour with the introduction of the two JICA volunteers with VATA and they are Ms Kanae Isozaki and Mr Yuya Takada.
Their deployment to VATA is reflective of Japan’s ongoing strong support to the sustainability of the forest resources of Solomon Islands.
VATA was established in 2005 to implement the National Government’s Forestry Policy on Downstream Processing.
By JIMMY NOLAN
Solomon Star, Honiara
