Members of the Western Provincial Assembly (WPA) have welcomed the appointment of a new legal advisor to help spearhead the recovery of uncollected revenue owed to Western Province (WP).
The announcement was made last week during the introduction of the Western Provincial Government’s (WPG) short-term budget, where Premier Billy Veo revealed the formation of a special subcommittee dedicated to identifying and pursuing outstanding payments.
The Western Province Premier Billy Veo said, the provincial sub-treasury is mandated to collect all business licenses, land and housing rentals, and other provincial fees and receipts.
However, he admitted that the process has long been hindered by poor responses from individuals and companies served with payment notices.
To address this, Premier Veo confirmed that a new taskforce, chaired by the Minister for Finance, Ronnie Ghemu, will begin operations this week to ensure the province collects what it is owed.
Official records show that a number of logging companies that operated in Western Province over the past 30 to 45 years are among those under review.
Many of these firms have since ceased operations and left the province, but the government maintains that some still have outstanding payments due to the Western Provincial Government.
Premier Veo said the initiative marks a renewed commitment by his government to strengthen financial accountability and boost internal revenue collection.
He urged all businesses and individuals with pending dues to cooperate with the taskforce to avoid legal action.
The premier also welcomed the support of the newly appointed Legal Advisor, who will provide technical guidance to ensure the process aligns with provincial and national laws.
He said the recovery of unpaid dues will play a key role in funding essential services and future development projects across the province.
By ULUTAH GINA
Solomon Star, Gizo
