Taiwan medical team here

A Taiwan Mobile Medical Team is here to offer free medical service. The trip is being funded by the Taiwanese government. It was led by Dr Chin Yi-Ying, a dermatologist, and comprised of three medical doctors and three nurses from Taiwan Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital. While here, the team will first visit Tongan…

EPS’s trained on their roles

Executive Personal Secretaries and their assistants from the various government ministries received training and mentorship on their roles and responsibilities last week. IPAM conducted the training as part of its role in improving capacity and working knowledge of public servants. The three-day workshop ended with a field trip and presentation of certificates to participants by…

Gov’t spends $6m to send contingent

The government spent $6 million to send its 170 participants to the 12th Festival of Pacific Arts in Guam, which opened last Sunday. Under Secretary of the Ministry of Culture & Tourism Moses Tepai revealed this to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearing last week. PAC was examining the Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2016. Tepai said…

African giant snails invading Guadalcanal

The invasive giant African snail has invaded a huge area in Guadalcanal from Aruligo in the west to Ruavatu in the east. That was according to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) Jimmy Saelea. He was speaking before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearing of the Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2016…

SINU graduates query certificates

Students who graduated from Solomon Islands National University (SINU) urged the university to finalise their certificates so that they can collect them. On graduation day, the students were issued certificates that did not carry the signature of the chairman of SINU council Dr Culwich Togamae. Those familiar with the processes said the Vice Chancellor, Dr…

Coral Triangle Day June 9

Coral Triangle Day will be celebrated on June 9 this year. The Regional Secretariat of Coral Triangle Initiative together with its six member countries are organising the event, with the theme  “Save Coral Triangle – Stop Plastic Pollution”. Solomon Islands is a member of the Coral Triangle Initiative. The theme aims at generating awareness and…

Bribery claim denied

A land acquisition officer has dismissed claims AU Capital Mining Limited bribed landowners in Temotu to acquire its prospecting licence to seek minerals on their land. AU Capital Mining, an Australia company, held two tenements under its prospecting licence – one Temotu and another in Choiseul. Recently Iron Mountain Mining, a different company, obtained shares…

No pay

Gov’t, UNDP deny paying former special constables A big number of former special constables are in Honiara to collect payments they claimed the government had promised them. A spokesman said they are to be paid on May 26, with each person expecting to receive $300,000. He claimed the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) provided funds,…

Cease the shipping grant

CONGRATULATIONS to Northwest Choiseul Constituency and its Member of Parliament Connelly Sandakabatu. You have demonstrated to the nation what transparency and accountability is when you produced the first ever report on the $5 million shipping grant allocated to you. The shipping grant, managed within the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, has been in existence for many…