THE Minister for Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening, Wayne Ghemu has assured that his ministry will work on ensuring that the Provincial Government Reform Bill is taken to Parliament by this year for tabling.
His assurance follows the defeat of the Constituent Assembly Meeting Amendment Bill 2024 in Parliament last month. The bill required a vote of 37 to be passed but the Government for National Unity and Transformation (GNUT) failed to secure that crucial numerical support for the bill.
In his contribution to the Sine Die Motion moved by Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele to indefinitely adjourn Parliament following the passage of the 2025 Budget, Minister Ghemu said, “This week, Mr Speaker Sir, a lot of Parliamentary colleagues raised issues of revenue-sharing and review of the Provincial Government Act 1997.
“There were very valuable points. the Member for Central Honiara raised the same thing, the Member for East-Central Guadalcanal raised the same thing, the Member for South Guadalcanal also raised the same thing in terms of the devolution of powers.
“I noted down all those discussions. So come next year, these are the matters, these are issues that the Ministry [of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening] will factor into the reform of the Provincial Government Act 1997 and I’m hopeful that come 2025, we should submit the paper to Cabinet and once we have the blessings, we will bring it (bill) to the floor of this house for tabling.”
On this note, Minister Ghemu urged other Members of Parliament to support the bill which will ensure the devolution of greater powers to the provincial governments in terms of mineral extraction, logging and ‘maybe’ fisheries.
“So, these are great ideas that we will try and factor them into the reform and we can do it. So don’t you worry. Come next year (2025), we will bring the reform bill here and we will discuss it.”
The Premier of Western Province, Billy Veo has recently expressed optimism that through the proposed reform of the Provincial Government Act, Western Province will have greater autonomy over its resources and greater revenue allocation. Other provinces that are anxious to see the National Government devolve greater powers to the provincial governments are Guadalcanal and Isabel.
By IAN LADDS OSO
Solomon Star, Honiara
