THE Member of Parliament for North West (NW) Guadalcanal, Francis Sade has taken the initiative to address the longstanding issue of road maintenance in the region, which has plagued constituents for over eight years.
The poorly maintained roads have significantly impacted local farmers and vehicle owners, making transportation and access to markets exceedingly difficult.
Recently, a local tourism operator from NW Guadalcanal criticised responsible authorities for their negligence of critical infrastructures in the region, particularly roads, that are adversely impacting tourism.
Speaking to Solomon Star, MP Sade expressed his commitment to improving the infrastructures in NW Guadalcanal, something that has been overlooked by the previous leadership.
“The state of our roads has been unacceptable for far too long. Our farmers and community deserve better,” he stated.
The current maintenance work is being facilitated through the collaboration of the NW Guadalcanal Constituency Office and Metropolis Pacific PTE Ltd, which has successfully negotiated with to commence repairs.
MP Sade emphasised that this initiative is just a temporary solution, while they await more comprehensive action from the Ministry of Infrastructure (MID) to fix the road.
“We have already engaged in discussions with the Ministry of Infrastructure Development regarding the road issue and I am hopeful they will take further steps this month to begin significant upgrades,” he added.
Although the NW Guadalcanal Constituency Office is taking immediate action to alleviate the road conditions, MP Sade reiterated that the primary responsibility for road maintenance lies with MID.
“We do not have the mandate to carry out road works ourselves. The responsibility rests with the relevant government ministry, which is MID,” he said.
Based on his discussions with MID, MP Sade expressed hope that work on the NW Guadalcanal Road will begin soon.
Residents of NW Guadalcanal have expressed optimism following MP Sade’s actions. Many hope that these temporary repairs will lead to lasting improvements and that the government will ultimately prioritise the necessary infrastructure development.
By JIMMY NOLAN
Solomon Star, Honiara
