Deputy Prime Minister Manasseh Maelanga had urged Members of Parliament who were given shipping grants to purchase vessels for their respective constituencies.
Maelanga, who is also MP for East Malaita, made the call during the commissioning of Temotu Vatud Constituency’s new ship, MV Vatu, yesterday.
Maelanga said that while many MPs are seeking funding assistance from the government to purchase vessels for their constituencies, he challenged them to fulfil their goals .with the money they received.
He congratulated the MP for Temotu Vatud, Freda Tuki for accomplishing that objective, evidenced by the launching of the MV Vatu Star.
“Minister Soriacomua has shown an example of honesty and we need to follow this path,” Maelanga added.
“This is what we want to see, government has offered you with money for ships therefore, and we want to see ships here,” he added.
“The government congratulates you Minister Tuki for what you have done that now we are celebrating it,” he said.
Maelanga said that this is a kind of approach that DCCG wants to see, MPs utilizing the assistance for constituency purposes.
Tuki said the vessel was purchased with the $3.8 million shipping grant allocated to her constituency.
She said repairs and additional re-modifications have brought the overall cost to nearly $5 million.
By LESLEY SANGA
