FORMER Honiara City Ward Councillor and former Deputy Mayor Jim Sevesi says the local government system in the country including the provinces is not workable at this stage and the system as experienced has outlived its application in the rural setting.
He uttered this during an interview with the Solomon Star, Tuesday.
Mr Sevesi brought to light the recent issue of internal borrowings the Malaita Provincial executive have been caught to have involved in as an example to clarify his concern.
“This action cannot be blamed entirely on the government of Malaita.
“The matter has so much to do with the provincial government system now overlooked by the central government as it only focusing in the 50 constituencies appearing as another tie of government,” Sevesi said.
He added that the current subventions that provinces have been receiving from the government are no longer worthy unless the government is prepared to devolve to its agencies revenue sources it has been holding back.
This includes revenues in the forestry sector, mining, fisheries and coffers the Inland Revenue Division has been receipting.
“It is also a point of debate that Provincial Government is no longer an appropriate system to govern the rural areas.
“An alternate are the constituencies, basically because it has been proven to access government coffers as it pleases,” Mr Sevesi added.
By RONALD TOITO’ONA