The communities of Komeleai, Kariki and Nila are gearing up for the launch of a new Telekom tower in the Shortland Islands on Wednesday.
This event marks the unveiling of the first tower in Nila. Two more additional towers will be launched with one in Wadede, Choiseul Province later.
Funded by the Australian Government, the ceremony will be attended by Australian High Commissioner H.E. Rodney Hilton, along with key officials including Minister of Police, Clezy Rore, and Colonel Justin Bywater, the Minister of Home Affairs and Member of Parliament (MP) for Shortland.
Local chiefs and residents are all preparing for the important occasion.
The program will kick off on Wednesday with a delegation from the Solomon Islands Government departing Honiara for Taro.
This will be followed by an operational overview from the Provincial Police Commander (PPC) of Choiseul regarding Western Border challenges.
The delegation will then travel to Ballalae Airport in Shortland Islands to assess progress at the Western Border Patrol Base in Lofung.
The main event will be hosted at Nila station, to officially launch the three towers.
After the launch, the delegation will travel to Gizo to meet with the Premier of Western Province and inspect local security facilities.
In total, four towers are being established in the Western province, with additional installations planned for Kia in Isabel Province and Pelau in the Malaita Outer Islands,
The funding project is a collaboration between the Solomon Islands Government, Ministry of Finance and Treasury, and Our Telekom, backed by AUD 7.7 million from the Australian Government.
Its purpose is to enhance close key communication gaps in border areas, enhance maritime security, and support remote communities by improving access to social, economic, health, and educational services.
By Ulutah Gina
In Shortlands
