SOLOMON ISLANDS’ Road contractors are concerned they will be pushed out from the second phase of the SBD314 million Community Access and Urban Services Enhancement [CAUSE] Project.
CAUSE is funded by the World Bank (WB) with funding support from Australia.
According to one contractor who worked on the First Phase in Honiara, he told Solomon Star over the weekend the World Bank had told them external contractors would be brought in to work on Phase 2.
“CAUSE is a very good program. But we are worried because it means we could be out of jobs should the World Bank proceed with its threat to give the jobs to foreign contractors.
“We are more than qualified to do to do the concrete pavement of urban roads in Honiara. We now appeal to the government to put pressure on the World Bank to reconsider their position,” the man who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Solomon Star.
“I trust you can convey the message on our behalf without exposing who we are,” the man said.
The Solomon Islands Government and the World Bank signed the financing agreements that will enable Community Access and Urban Services Enhancement Project II (CAUSE II) to move into the implementation phase.
The signatories during the 5th November ceremony at the Ministry of Finance Headquarters in Honiara included the Finance and Treasury Minister, Hon. Manasseh Sogavare, on behalf of the Solomon Islands Government, and Stephen N. Ndegwa, Country Director, Papua New Guinea & Pacific Islands, East Asia, and Pacific Region, on behalf of the International Development Association. CAUSE II total financing is approximately SBD314 million with the Government of Australia as co-financier.
CAUSE II will build on the success of its predecessor, which closed on October 31, 2024, and benefited over 100,000 people, the statement said.
According to a statement issued at the signing of CAUSE I generated nearly 370,000 labour days, provided short-term employment for 8,400 people—of whom over 50 per cent were women and youth—and delivered essential urban services such as road maintenance, drainage, and waste management.
The new project will invest in climate-resilient infrastructure and provide economic opportunities for local communities across the Solomon Islands. CAUSE II will be implemented in the fastest-growing urban centres in the country—Honiara City, urban and peri-urban areas of the provinces of Guadalcanal, Malaita (Auki), and Western (Gizo, Noro, and Munda).
A preview by Artificial Intelligence (AI) said CAUSE refers to a World Bank-funded initiative aimed at improving basic infrastructure and services for vulnerable urban population.
This includes road maintenance, drainage, waste management and skills training with a focus on creating employment opportunities for local residents, particularly women and youths.
The local contractor said the work outlined in the World Bank fits us the local contractors perfectly.
“Why then is the World Bank trying to take away the jobs from us. It is unfair and the government has a duty of care to discuss this matter with the World Bank Office here as a matter of urgency.
“Don’t give us with your right hand and then turn around and take the gift with your left hand. Culturally, that is not acceptable,” the man said.
It is understood scoping work has begun in suburban roads to be included in the contracts. Once the scoping work is completed, the project would be put on tender, he said.
“The fact that the World Bank has pre-determined as to who to award the contracts to, makes us nervous. We need a helping hand from the government to ensure the job is given to local contractors,” the man said.
By Alfred Sasako
Photo caption: Signing of the CAUSE II Project on November 5 2024 in Honiara. Now World Bank is after the money
