MALAITA Province has once again qualified for the Provincial Capacity Development Fund (PCDF) for the 2025/2026 period.
Deputy Provincial Secretary for Malaita, Peter Herehura, confirmed the province’s qualification for the PCDF.
He expressed confidence, stating that the results of the recent assessment were positive, confirming that Malaita had qualified for the fund this round.
“Yes, the province qualifies for the PCDF, but it has not been officially announced yet,” Mr. Herehura clarified.
Malaita has had a mixed track record with the PCDF, experiencing both qualifications and disqualifications over the years, depending on its performance in meeting the program’s criteria.
The province has been disqualified from the PCDF on at least three occasions, but it has also qualified for the fund in several years, reflecting improvements in governance and fiscal management.
In the 2012/2013 period, Malaita met only three out of the seven minimum conditions required, which resulted in no allocation for that year.
Similarly, in 2013/2014, Malaita, along with Guadalcanal and Rennell & Bellona, failed to meet all seven minimum conditions during the annual performance assessment.
In the 2023/2024 assessment, Malaita did not qualify due to delays in the Public Accounts Committee’s scrutiny of the 2020-2021 Audit Report and unresolved procurement and payment issues.
However, despite these challenges, Malaita has qualified for the PCDF in several years.
In 2017/2018, the province qualified with a performance score of 56 and received a full allocation of SBD 12,647,326.
In 2020, Malaita met all minimum conditions and improved its performance measures, earning qualification for that year.
2024/2025, after a two-year hiatus, Malaita requalified for the PCDF, receiving a revised allocation of SBD 11,873,158 for various development projects.
Malaita’s qualification for the PCDF in the 2025/2026 cycle marks a positive turning point, providing a vital opportunity for the province to drive further development in the coming years.
By SOLOMON LOFANA
Solomon star, Auki
