Transparency Solomon Islands (TSI) has welcomed and congratulated the appointment of five new Commissioners to serve in the Solomon Islands Independent Commission Against Corruption (SIICAC).
Sworn in as the five new Commissioners are a former Attorney General, and judge lawyer, James Apaniai as chairman, Ms. Florrie Alalo as the Deputy Chair (lawyer) Mr. Jimmy Sendersley (re-appointed), Mr. Alfred Ghemu Kituru, and Ms. Michelle Lam. Congratulations.
We forward to working with the newly sworn in Commissioners in the fight against corruption.
With the wealth of experience, they bring to the Commission, the needed reforms and programs to action the core mandates of SIICAC. These new Commissioners replace the former Commissioners whose term lapsed after five years.
During the term of the previous Commission, the former Chair, former Governor General, and judge Sir Frank Kabui was vocal about the lack of support the commission was given by the previous Executive Government.
During his time as Chairman of SIICAC he publicly shared how the Executive Government then, paid very little attention to the work of the Commission and whether or not it is serious about fighting corruption in Solomon Islands.
It is the hope of Transparency Solomon Islands that for this new Commissioners the GNUT led Executive Government will provide adequate resources, financial, facilities and human resources they will require to do their work.
This will equip the Commission with the resources it needs to recruit, train, mobilize, investigate and prosecute Corruption in the country. NO MORE LIP SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE OF SOLOMON ISLAND. It is time to get down to serious business.
The Auditor General’s Audit Report of Economic Stimulus Package and other audits reports of public funds shows just how corrupt the Public Sector is.
Those who continue to siphon off public funds through corrupt conducts and activities, continues to deny people and country the social-economic services and development that are needed to develop citizens and country.
The Commission has a very important role to play, just as the police and others do including citizens.
With the combined wealth of experience, the newly appointed Commissioners can bring about discipline and integrity within the Office of the Commission, and in the work of the Commission fulfilling its role of HOLDING POWER TO ACCOUNT for the misuse and abuse of power for own benefit.
Resources however must be provided for their work. Currently there is very little transparency and accountability in the Machinery of Government.
The Auditor General’s Audits Reports is full or riddled with instances of there being no documentations relating to expenditure of public funds, non-compliance with regulations, policy, systems prescribed in various government mechanisms or the lack of it.
Public officers especially those in positions of power fail to provide accompanying documents to verify the expenditure. Worse still they are not investigated nor charged or disciplined for non-compliance and lack of accountability and transparency in the performance of their duties and responsibilities. The latest of these is the Auditor General’s Audit of the Economic Stimulus Package.
The Commission has an important role in education that will contribute to preventative measures on what corruption is, what citizens can do, what legal instruments underpin their roles and responsibilities, how to report, where to report, what evidence to gather and where they can get help as victims or witnesses of corrupt conduct and practice.
The Prime Minister during the launch of Solomon Islands National Anti -Corruption Strategy (NACS) 2024-2027 made a strong call for a united effort to fight corruption to all stakeholders.
The strategy is a comprehensive and detailed document designed to guide and coordinate the government’s approach to identifying, investigating, prioritizing policy and legislative reforms needed to combat corruption over the next four years.
The lead therefore must come from the government through the Commission and that its stakeholder/partners are equally funded to do what they are best at contributing to the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy in our fight against corruption.
At the end of the day, it is SIICAC and other Institutions of Integrity that are empowered by the law to act, investigate, charge, prosecute etc. corrupt conduct and practice on behalf of the country and people, therefore the sustainability of the fight against corruption.
TSI urges Prime Minister Hon. Jeremiah Manele to provide adequate support/resources to the Commission to do its legal and regulatory assigned mandate. It is important that the Prime Minister, being the responsible officer for the fight against corruption, (Anti-Corruption Act 2018) direct stakeholders working in this space (Inter-governmental Agencies, UN Agencies, CSOs (national & international) to recognize and acknowledge the Commission as the peak corruption body in the country established by legislation.
They be directed, to consult, engage, work in collaboration with the Commission than undermining it as seen in the past five years. All of us are needed, and we can achieve much working collaboratively to reduce, and eliminate corruption, in the public sector and private sector.
Solomon Islands has a highly corrupt public sector. Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2024 score for Solomon Islands is 43. People say the most corrupt are the politicians (Global Corruption Barometer 2021 Pacific).
This means the Government’s fight against corruption is stagnant as well. Again, the evidence is in the Auditor Generals (previous & current) many “non opinions audit reports that are shelved and not dealt with by successive governments.
Today in our country, corrupt forces not only dictate but are shaping and dismantling checks and balances – silencing anyone fighting to be heard, sustainability, protection of the environment and their resources like what is happening vulnerable resource owners desperately need the SIICAC as they fight for good governance in the exploitation of their resources, protection of their source of livelihoods etc.
The Commission can contribute to bringing about change, compliance when adequately resourced guided by Commissioners of experience, and integrity.
Given how poor the country is, rooting out corruption before it derails meaningful anti-corruption action, climate change action, gender equality action, disability and social inclusion action is a must. Our government, multilateral organizations must work together with the Commission, embedding anti-corruption measures into climate change efforts, gender equality efforts, disability and social inclusion efforts, youth advancement and empowerment efforts to safeguard the finances needed for these, maximizing impact whilst building and rebuilding trust in the Machinery of Government, and systems.
The continuous act of misusing public office and public money for self-benefit and enrichment continues to lead the nation nowhere. It must stop.
TSI congratulates and wishes the new Commissioners well. Your performance and work can re-ignite the assurance, trust and hope in our government.
Let us work collectively, collaboratively, and complimentarily under the leadership of the current PM who assured the nation in his speech during the launch of Solomon Island Anti-Corruption strategy (NACS) 2024-2027 to bring about transparency, accountability protecting democracy through good governance for all.
– TSI
