LIKE any other political party preparing for an election, UMI For Change Party is advocating its policy intentions for the country, one of which is developing a robust private sector economic plan to stimulate economic growth.
This was highlighted by the President of the UMI For Change Party Daniel Suidani when launching his party’s manifesto last week in Auki.
He said U4C, in pursuit of encouraging the growth of the private sector, will employ the following policy strategies:
- Develop a robust private sector economic plan with clear implementation strategies;
- Encourage and develop local entrepreneurship to ensure Solomon Islanders participate meaningfully in the country’s economic activities;
- Review and reform laws and processes to create an enabling environment for the private sector. Such reforms should remove any administrative, bureaucratic, and regulatory impediments to business, exports and private sector development;
- Pursue, provide, rehabilitate and maintain infrastructure in all nine provinces and Honiara city to encourage private sector investment;
- Promote local enterprise manufacturing that is based on Solomon Islands primary products;
- Encourage the creation of more employment and sustenance in the private sector with better employment conditions and remunerations;
- Introduce fiscal policy reforms to stimulate business activities and facilitate job market expansion to address the country’s increasing unemployment rate;
- Review seasonal workers’ schemes with the aim of facilitating a skilled labour scheme to work in places like Australia and New Zealand.
On foreign relations, Mr Suidani said the party, amongst other things, will pursue the following policy strategies:
- Review or establish diplomatic, bilateral, and multilateral agreements between Solomon Islands and other countries or territories, including the question of the Cne China Principle;
- Review and reform the current process for establishing foreign relationships to ensure it is transparent and subject to consultation with the people and Parliamentary scrutiny;
- Review and reform existing laws to allow the provinces and Honiara City Council to pursue relations or form alliances with suitable international organizations, cities or provinces; and
- Review and promote forms of international economic, social, political, and security cooperation and assistance in a transparent manner that advances national and provincial development goals;
He said in the spirit of transparency, accountability and good governance, any agreement or Memorandum of Understanding signed by the government with a foreign country will be disclosed to appropriate Parliamentary Committees and the Solomon Islands public.
By SOLOMON LOFANA
Solomon Star, Auki
