The newly elected Malaita Premier sets compliance as priority during his four-month tenure
MARTIN Gaote’e Fini is the new Premier of Malaita Province.
And the newly elected leader of the nation’s most populous Province, has vowed to tighten loopholes in the regulations governing the management of public funds as he prepares to announce his ministerial line-up early next week.
A former chairman of the Malaita Provincial Government Public Accounts Committee [PAC], Mr. Fini told Solomon Star “compliance is the number one priority for his new administration.”
In his motion of no confidence, Mr. Fini last Tuesday accused Daniel Suidani of mismanagement, misappropriation of public funds and non-compliance.
“Given public perception that all politicians are the same, what can the public expect to see from your administration? Solomon Star asked the new-elected Premier.
Premier Fini said he would set up a system which monitors daily expenditures incurred by the Provincial government.
“In this way, expenditures are monitored on a daily basis to avoid being trapped in the same way Suidani was,” he said.
“I want to see that regulations stipulated in financial instruments such as the Financial Management Ordinance, the Financial Management Regulations and similar instruments are upheld,” the 74-year-old MPA for Ward 3, Buma, said.
“In other words, I want to see compliance as the number one priority. That’s the number one priority,” Premier Fini said.
“As a former PAC chairman, I do know some things about how to improve the system,” the father of nine, told Solomon Star.
“And we will be different in the remaining months of the tenure of this Provincial Assembly,” he said.
Premier Fini was however silent on what he intends to do with the raft of allegations he raised against former premier Suidani.
“Will your administration ask police to investigate the serious allegations raised in your Motion of No Confidence (MPNC) speech against Suidani? I asked.
“Those are very serious allegations and that is why I want to set up a system to monitor daily expenditures so that we do not fall into the same trap,” he said.
Premier Fini is a former policeman.
Until now, little is known about him outside his circle of friends. In other words, he was a little obscure in public life. The no confidence motion he successfully moved against Suidani has somewhat catapulted him to the frontline.
Premier Fini was elected unopposed yesterday when the MARA candidate Glen Waneta surprised everyone by withdrawing his nomination an hour before the vote was due to be taken at 9:30.
Speaker Ronnie Butala announced at the Assembly meeting that he had received a written notice from Hon Waneta advising of his decision to withdraw his nomination. No MARA members attended yesterday’s meeting.
“I have accepted Hon Waneta’s decision to withdraw his nomination. This is consistent with Standing Order 48, which allows an MPA to withdraw his nomination one hour before a vote is due to be taken,” Speaker Butala said.
The MARA bench in the Chamber in the Green House remained empty for the second time this week.
MPA Fini, a former policeman, was nominated by David Solo Baerara (Ward 14, Fokonakafo/Subobono). Martin Mae (Ward 22, Small Malaita) seconded the nomination
MARA’s candidate Glen Waneta was nominated by Hon Dickson Pola, of Ward 21, Small Malaita, seconded by Hon Peter Clay Taraumae (Ward 24, Mareho).
Premier Fini is expected to announce his ministerial team early next week.
The current Malaita Provincial Assembly is due to be dissolved in May. This gives the Fini-Government a tenure of less than four months.
Meanwhile, Auki township remains calm despite a barrage of social media misinformation that the township is in lockdown.
By Alfred Sasako
