A combined delegation from the from Malaita and Guadalcanal Provincial Governments held a meeting early this week with the Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare at the Prime Minister’s Office to be updated on the progress of major national projects in those two provinces.
During the meeting Mr Sogavare assured the premiers that the government was only been able to starting deliver its projects within the last two and half months since coming into power as the government has to pass a budget and start making tenders of the projects.
The Prime Minister said, some of the major developments projects may experience slow progress but that is likely to change in the immediate future as soon as the work as soon as tenders from the projects have been selected.
The Prime Minister said, a detail report of the projects will be availed to the two provincial heads after the Prime Minister has held a round of consultation with his Cabinet Ministers in the immediate future.
Malaita Premier Peter Chanel Ramohia said, the alignment of the national government and provincial government’s policies is crucial to realise the implementation of the major projects in Malaita.
Mr Ramohia said he is content that some projects in Malaita, such as the Fiu Hydro project are progressing at a satisfactory phase but also acknowledged that some Malaita priority projects have been progressing quite slowly and would require to be boosted.
Meanwhile, Guadalcanal Premier said the slow progress in reviving the Gold Ridge
Mine comes as a real concern for his administration.
In response, the Prime Minister said now that the issue of reopening the mine is getting more complex as the reopening issue has been taken off the government’s hand by the commercial arm of the Gold Ridge Community and Landowners Association and
other such landowner interest groups that deal with the company of the change of ownership of the mine.
The Prime Minister said his government is caught by surprise to have been excluded from the deal to resell the mine but assured the Guadalcanal Premier that he would be provided with a report when as soon as the information is available.
The two premiers thanked the Prime Minister and the senior government officials at the meeting for availing his time to meet with the delegation as the meeting has been arranged on short notice before the Second Appointed Day of both Malaita and Guadalcanal Provinces next month, August 2015.
– PMO Press Secretariat
