SEVEN Australian Federal Members of the House of Representatives on Friday have learnt about the work of award winning firm – Kokonut Pacific Solomon Islands (KPSI) during a brief visit to its head office at Lunga, East Honiara.
During their brief stop over before heading back to Australia, the delegation were briefed on the work being conducted by the firm in extracting pure oil from dried coconut and producing a number of products such as soap, body scrub soap, fragrance body oil, virgin pure oil for cooking and other household use and crafts.
They also got the opportunity to witness firsthand the process involved in extracting the flesh from the dried coconut before oil was extracted before being used to produce some of the coconut related products.
Some of the visiting members also took the opportunity to have a hands on experience.
They also received gift packs from KPSI. Some of them also bought some of the products during the visit.
And most of them were impressed with the work done by Kokonut Pacific Solomon Islands and its contribution to raise the standard of living of rural dwellers who depend on coconut plantation to sustain their livelihood.
KPSI usually source pure oil from some of the rural producers which were properly processed before being placed in containers for export especially to Australia.
Because of that KPSI had been recognised.
Last November Kokonut Pacific SI received the Bred Bank Business Contribution to the Community Award and the Prime Minister’s Business Excellence Award.
KPSI Managing Director Bob Pollard highlighted the contribution of rural families to the company’s operations.
“We receive the award on behalf all our hardworking families that are living in different parts of some of the far corners of the country who don’t enjoy some of the privileges of Honiara life,” he said. “This is really their award.”
He said, KPSI aims to improve village livelihoods through the production of virgin coconut oil and other coconut products.
Local workers collect the coconuts, and the company’s invention of Direct Micro Expelling technology to extract the oil allows the process to take place on a small scale in local communities.
Mr Pollard during the occasion said the Prime Minister’s award will bring the company recognition as it continues to expand.
“Our big challenge in the future if we’re going to scale is just to be able to sell overseas, and so there’s a lot of work to be done to be able to do that,” he said.
During the one hour stop over the MPs said they were impressed with what they saw and experienced while in the country.
The group was here to learn more about Solomon Islands culture, and the important work that the Australian Aid and Development program is doing with the Solomon Islands Government.
The delegation last week visited communities that initiate programs that are funded by the Australian Aid, which includes Live and Learn Sanitation Program, Channel Of Hope Pprogram at Kwaibala in
Aukli, Malaita Province and few projects in west Guadalcanal.
The visit has been organised by Save the Children (SCA) under the Australian Aid and Parliament Project.
It was also part of a network to observe the support rendered by the Australian Government to assist Solomon Islands improve economic development in various sectors.
The group also visited another non-government organisation called ‘Live and Learn’ where they learnt about its Sanitation and Hygiene-based Enterprise at the Henderson community.
They were also satisfied with the success of the project which was also supported by the Australian government.
The group left on Friday.
