IN his speech during last week’s debate on the question that parliament resolves into the whole house of the committee to consider the national anti-corruption strategy, the Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare spoke about the government’s engagement with development partners.

He said to achieve the strategy involves a huge cost and so the government has been encouraged to work closely with our development partners.

Mr Sogavare said that this comes with a cautious manner so as to be not over dependent on our development partners in developing the strategy and be obliged to follow what they say.

“We note that advice with concern because we could be carried away with our exaggerated sense of nationalism that we suffered from isolationism in the fast changing globalized world that must work together to address common global problems that are facing the globalized world.

“Solomon Islands is not just a group of islands lost in the tropics. We are an integral part of the globalised world and affected by what is happening in other parts of the world,” he said.

The Prime Minister strongly said that as member of the United Nations, we cannot irresponsibly shun our responsibility to work with international communities to address the affliction of corruption and it would be a gross mistake and over estimation of our ability to help ourselves if we decide to think in such a way.

Mr Sogavare highlighted how our development partners have contributed and still are contributing towards the country on a daily basis.

“The evidence is overwhelming, major infrastructure development in this country are still and will continue to be funded by our development partners.

“The cost of our education, health and security services are highly subsidized by our development partners and the list goes on,” he said.

Mr Sogavare in his address on this particular matter addressed all members and encouraged them to have a stable perspective about the development partners of the country.

“I must therefore encourage all of us to take a balanced view about our development partners interests in seeing Solomon Islands taking a positive step towards placing a check on the threat of evil corruption in our country,” he said.