The SOE affirms strong management & hard stand against corruption.

 

SOLOMON Water General Manager reveals that the company has been working hard to improve services and strive to newer heights.

In light of much criticisms and complaints, Mr Ian Gooden has come out to prove that the state owned enterprise (SOE) is, in contrast to misleading beliefs stirred by social media, pursuing to better the service it provides leaving no stones unturned.

He shares that a number of Solomon Water officers have indeed already left their jobs during past months because of corrupt practices reported directly to the company’s management team.

This in itself is an action which the company has to take for the good of the impartial service that it provides to the nation.

The recent much talked about issue in FSII Facebook page, over an issue of a local witnessing bribery accepted by a Solomon Water Officer, concerns the General Manager of Solomon Water and he has made clear that a full-scale investigation will be launched on the matter.

Another concern of his is why the report was chosen to be raised on social media than to the company itself.

He said people just tend to report and discuss about issues concerning the company rather than approaching the Solomon Water management to raise their concerns.

GM Gooden said if they could make contact with the witness over the situation, they will investigate it because the company’s management loathes corruption.

“We have had some situations of corrupt practises during before,” confirmed Gooden.

“If we can find out what’s going on then I can deal with it.

“But if I just get an email enquiry or something in a public website or in a newspaper that is anonymous then I cannot do anything about it,” he said.

Solomon Water Operations Manager Mr Scravin Tongi also said that “We all want the same thing”, and that is to rid the company of corruption and continue provide the best service for customers.

“Yes you could report it in the media but the value of it is when you sort the issue out. And we can only sort the issue out if we are able to talk with the informant if it is based on real life evidence, who and what exactly before we can get to the bottom of this,” said Mr Tongi.

“Otherwise it is going to be merely speculations only, and if that’s the media then it does not go down well with us because we do fight corruption and we have terminated people for corrupt practices in this company.

“We guarantee that if there are any mal practises then we will get down to the bottom of this because surely this is what we all want as well,” he added.

The Solomon Water OM also elaborated that there has already been a number of former officers (locals) who have left their jobs because of corrupt practices and that is the standing position of the management team of the company.

“The company has an excellent workforce and such kind of reporting makes us all look bad because all the good people are being called corrupt as well when there might only be a few people who are causing such practise. But the question is, which one?” said Tongi.

He concluded by assuring everyone that Solomon Water Company has very strong proper governance.