Tuesday, February 14th, 2017
Auki in dire need of proper water supply
MALAITA Provincial Headquarter, Auki, is having problems with its water supply, as the pump station and water reservoir are currently in a bad state. But the good news is that SIWA is currently actively looking into the matter. Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Minister of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification Hon David Dei Pacha said SIWA is considering options to seek funding from donors to address the issue in the future. He said there are numbers of issues that contribute to the poor water supply in Auki, and one of themRead More
More than 40 dengue cases in Gizo
MORE than 40 dengue cases have been reported since January by Gizo Hospital Laboratory. Dengue has not gone away but is still circulating in Gizo Town. On a positive note however, there are still no deaths relating to dengue reported by the lab. According to the Director of Health and Medical Services at Gizo Hospital Dr Dickson Boara yesterday, the general message now is for citizens of the town to take extra precaution, clear their air surroundings and sleep under mosquito nets. “During after such wet weather experience is whenRead More
Gov’t questioned over Auki water supply
MEMBER of Parliament for Aoke/Langalanga has questioned the government over the poor water supply in Malaita Provincial Headquarter, Auki. Hon Matthew Wale questioned the Minister of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification whether the three boreholes funded by JICA project are functioning well. “I want to know the volume of water generated from these three boreholes and also I want to know if the JICA boreholes are functioning already,” he said. In response, Minister of Mines and Rural Electrification, David Dei Pacha said the boreholes are working but are supplying aRead More
Honiara City to expect traffic nightmare
AS road upgrading booms, Honiara City will encounter chronic traffic jams in the coming months, it is predicted. This will cause much frustration and headache for commuters and public service transportation. Honiara City Council Clerk, Mr Charles Kelly said Honiara City will likely face this situation in the two years of the JICA road project. He said currently development is progressing at 10 percent, and as operation flows the capital will face serious traffic congestion, which could be around mid this year or beginning of next year. However, Mr KellyRead More
Registrations for 2018 election begin mid-year
THE Minister of Home Affairs has announced that preparations for the 2018 Election will begin mid this year. Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Minister of Home Affair and Deputy Prime Minister Hon Manasseh Maelanga said his Ministry has drawn up the timeline for the Election programmes and that registrations will begin around June. He adds that consultations on the Absentee Voting programme is currently underway. Hon Maelanga said the Electoral team is currently holding consultations in Tulagi, Central province as part of informing people about the plan. He told parliament thatRead More
SIPA management begins implementing COI recommendations
THE Solomon Islands Ports Authority (SIPA) has taken ownership of a side lift plant it bought in a lease back arrangement with businessman/politician, North Malaita MP and Minister for Infrastructure Development, Hon Jimmy Lusibaea. Under an agreement signed by controversial former chief executive officer, Colin Yow, SIPA paid Lion Heart Company Ltd $2,209,810 “for purchase of side lift. The payment was authorised by Colin Yow, according to the Commission of Inquiry into the SIPA reforms. Among a number of documents the Commission of Inquiry had examined was an invoice SIPARead More
Residents warned to boil water
THE Director of Western Provincial Health Services, Dr Dickson Boara, warns residents of Western province to boil water before consumption. His caution comes in light of damages on water sources by the recent bad weather. From the recent flooding, the risk of water-borne diseases is higher than normal, he says. Villagers without proper water tanks are told to boil their drinking water collected from rivers, streams and wells. “Boiling water is very important to avoid diarrhoea outbreak and other sicknesses. “Drinking safe water is one of the most effective instrumentsRead More
City Clerk clarifies bus stop relocation
HONIARA City Council (HCC) clarifies that the bus-stop relocation at the Town Council area is a temporary measure only. HCC Charles Kelly said the move is a temporary one by the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) to allow for space for the current road upgrade of the main highway. The bus-stop was recently moved to the area opposite the national library by the MID after a meeting with responsible authorities. Over the past weeks, public were uncertain and irked by the change in venue and the seemingly extra hurdle ofRead More
Fiu River communities face serious water problem
FIU River is unfit for human usage, it is reported. This is significant because the river is said to have never been polluted to this level from as far as anyone can remember. It is renowned as the healthiest river in Central Kwara’ae, Malaita province. Not anymore, it may seem. People from the communities surrounding Fiu River say that changes began when the upgrading of the Okwala road started. Since the road development, rainy seasons turn the river reddish brown; this has greatly affected people depending on the river forRead More
Shaggy show cancelled
INTERNATIONAL music sensation, Shaggy will not be coming to the country this week, as local organisers of the show have asked people to get a refund of their tickets for the show which was initially planned for this Thursday. In an email to Island Sun Heritage Park Hotel event manager Bradford Hepponstall said the planned shaggy car park show is postponed. “And we sincerely regret any inconvenience this may have caused to the good people of Solomon Islands.” He said concerts that shaggy was scheduled to attend in New Zealand andRead More