WITHIN the next few months, Auki, the Malaita Provincial Capital will commence offering passport processing service.
This was announced by the OUR Party Parliamentary Wing Leader and Caretaker Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare on Friday last week in Auki.
This was during the official launch of Ownership, Unity and Responsibility (OUR) Party’s manifesto.
The launch was also to introduce the OUR Party candidates for constituencies in Malaita.
They are Jackson Fiulaua for Central Kwara’ae, Senley Levi Filualea for North Malaita, Augustine Auga for Lau-Mbaelelea, David Filia for Aoke-Langalanga, Rex Ramofafia for Fataleka and Manasseh Maelanga for East Malaita.
Five of these candidates are members of the DCGA government. Mr Filia is a new comer.
The OUR Party Parliamentary Wing Leader said the set-up of the new passport service in Auki is to support the labour mobility scheme.
“To ensure the labour mobility scheme continues, a passport office in Auki will open soon,” he said.
The OUR Party Parliamentary Wing Leader said the office will open in the second quarter of this year which is between April and June.
He said the majority of people employed under the labor mobility schemes come from Malaita.
A passport office for Western Province was opened last Monday in Noro.
“We just opened a passport office in Noro and it became operational as of Monday 11March,” he said.
The OUR Party Parliamentary Wing Leader said having such service in the provinces should cut down the number of people travelling to Honiara to apply for passport and the associated costs.
He said the government needs to work quickly in providing such important service to the people of this country.
The demand for passport continues to rise as more locals are applying to work in Australia, Canada and New Zealand under the labour mobility schemes of these countries.
Apart from these workers, the increasing number of locals traveling overseas to study, for medical treatment, for business, for sports and for leisure also increased over the past months.
