MALAITA province Premier, Peter Ramohia has defended the $4 million offer to National Provident Fund (NPF) for the sale of the deteriorated Auki plaza.
This came after the Auki Plaza Tenants committee has condemned the move by the province to sell the building to NPF.
Ramohia told the Solomon Star in Honiara yesterday, that the building which is owned by the province, was supposed to be sold by the previous government.
However, he said the former government left it for the new government to deal with it and sell the building.
Ramohia said the province decided to sell the old Plaza to NPF because most Malaitans are members of this fund.
As such, he said, if NPF developed the building, it will allow the tenants to move in and rent the rooms for business.
“We should be happy to see a new development on the building because if we leave it like this, it will deteriorate and has no value at the end,” he said.
Furthermore, Ramohia said most of the tenants who have complained did not normally pay their rentals to the government.
He said, it is not right for the tenants to stop the province from selling the building because even most of them are not faithful in paying up their rentals.
Mr Ramohia said so far paper works are underway with NPF on the sale of the building.
Solomon Islands National Provident Fund was established by the National Provident Fund Act 1973 as a statutory savings scheme.
This covers all employed persons who are resident, or whose employer is resident, in the Solomon Islands.
By EDDIE OSIFELO
