The question of who really owns Constituency-purchased vessels comes under the spotlight with the recent call by a Small Malaita community on the Small Mala Shipping Management to inform them of what actions it will take on the storm-grounded MV Small Mala
SHIPS bought under the government’s multi-million-dollar shipping grants for Constituencies were once a thriving business in shipping passengers and cargo to and from ports right across the nation.
Now they appear to be a dying breed as neglect begins to set in.
While some are still plying the ocean with their trade, others are fighting to stay afloat – due to repair costs and wait for it, mounting Constituency debts.
Take for example, the case of Small Mala (SM) the passenger/cargo boat bought for the Small Malaita Constituency under the shipping grants administered by the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID).
Or the case of the Gulatatae – the landing craft bought for East Kwaio Constituency on Malaita. Both vessels are debt-ridden and are being held at AviAvi Slipway near Tulagi in Central Islands Province.
In the case of MV Small Mala its demise began four years ago when its propeller reportedly fell off forcing the ship to be anchored at Port Adam or Fanalei where it remained until it was grounded recently by storm, according to locals.
Because there was no fuel to pump water from the engine, it was decided to push the ship onto the reef and sink it in a small passage in the nearby mangrove used to catch dolphins, according to one account. It remained there today.
The engine of the second Small Mala Shipping vessel named, MV Mala Mweimwei (language name meaning Small Malaita) seized up at Point Cruz harbour almost two years ago.
Today, the ship sits at AviAvi Slipway allegedly with huge unpaid debts. It is not clear whether repair work has even started. Locals say no one seems to be in a hurry to fix the problem so that the ship could again resume its invaluable services to the communities throughout the country.
So, who owns the ship – is it the Small Malaita Constituency or someone else?
According to published reports, there are only two shareholders in the Small Mala Shipping Company that manage the ship – former Prime Minister and MP for Small Malaita Constituency, Rick Hou, who allegedly owns 99 per cent and former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury and now the Pro-vice Chancellor corporate of SINU, Shadrach Fanega, who owns the remaining one per cent share.
Mr Fanega was the chairman of the board for the past six years, according to the local people of Small Malaita Constituency.
This week, there were calls on social media that after 12 years in Office, Mr Hou should now step aside as an MP because all the promises of developing Small Malaita constituency for the past 12 years has failed as also reflected in the failed shipping company.
An insider of the Small Mala shipping company said that huge debts incurred by the constituency office of Small Malaita Constituency remain unpaid today. That’s one major factor causing the ship to be financially crippled.
Mr Hou has held the seat for three consecutive terms of four years each.
In the case of the Gulatatae Shipping, no one seems to know who owns the Landing Craft, despite a good management team at the helm. The MP for East Kwaio, Festus Stanley Sofu, is the chairman of the board which comprises all his supporters
Gulatatae Landing Craft of East Kwaio Constituency and Mala Mweimwei of Small Malaita Constituency share some common features. These include, but not limited to:
- Both are moored at AviAvi Slipway;
- They have mounting debts;
- Their ownerships remain unclear
Until the owners who have benefitted financially from the ships’ operations over the years own up to their responsibilities, there is no knowing when the two vessels would ply the oceans again.
By Alfred Sasako
