Dear Editor – It was with a great deal of disappointment that I read the article published in the Friday edition of the newspaper that covered the CEO of SIPA and his intention to add Noodles to his long list of folly’s outside the remit under which SIPA is supposed to operate.
My Yow, the CEO states that it is not unusual for ports around the world to operate businesses outside of their core function, and this is true.
The disappointment is that usually, these ports have already created an effective and efficient port operation that contributes to the benefit of its users, and these benefits are passed on to the consumer through the savings generated by these efficiencies and are now looking to add value to their operations.
This makes sense.
The SIPA operation is NOT efficient, nor effective.
The level of service and disruption to shipping and the costs associated with this inefficiency continues to weigh heavily on the pockets of Solomon Islands consumers.
It is the business communities’ position that the port operation should be the number one priority and the only concern for now of the CEO, not his next adventure into retailing while importers pay 240 percent more for less service than was available only a few months ago.
In recent times, key stakeholder Ministers have publicly declared that a number of actions undertaken by SIPA are outside the Acts under which it is supposedly governed and yet we now see yet another none core activity taking priority over what really needs to happen at this vital piece of infrastructure to the development and prosperity of the Solomon Islands.
Please SIPA board, you have an opportunity to deliver a great port operation, one to be proud of in our region.
Let us not continue with this alarming distraction which despite all claims by the CEO, is already proving to be detrimental to the people of the Solomons and their financial welfare.
Nick Ellis
General Manager
Solrice
