The website of the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) gives information of two initiatives from Australia and Japan, both quite separate, in support of the Solomon Islands.
I quote the details for general information.
Australia’s flagship Solomon Islands Infrastructure Program (SIIP) has agreed to fast track redevelopment of six markets across Malaita, Guadalcanal, Honiara, Isabel and Western Province, improve provincial ports and launch a new SIIP website. SIIP is in its first phase of implementation. Work on the markets project is expected to commence by December 2022.
These priorities were set at SIIP’s second joint Steering Committee meeting, co-chaired by Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr Jimmie Rodgers and Australian High Commissioner Dr Lachlan Strahan. Given the volume of high-profile and urgent work coming down the SIIP pipeline, the Committee agreed to increase its meetings from every six months to quarterly.
Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr Rodgers emphasised that SIIP’s SBD1.5 billion infrastructure program is crucial for realising the economic potential of Solomon Islands.
“SIIP will work with our local industries to build capacity, ensure appropriate designs and create employment while delivering national infrastructure such as markets which drive economic growth.”
Australian High Commissioner Dr Strahan said social issues and economic growth were interdependent, and SIIP would drive local engagement and locally-led construction activities wherever possible.
“The COVID-19 pandemic brings into sharp focus the importance of sustainable economic growth and has highlighted the need to create meaningful economic opportunities, both in Honiara and the provinces, for everyone, including young people, women, and marginalised groups,” said High Commissioner Strahan.
“For many, this means connecting gardens to markets to create family income. The new markets in Buala (Isabel), Malu’u (Malaita) and Seghe (Western province) will ensure people have economic opportunities that are accessible and inclusive.
This will ensure the continued generation of much needed daily income, which Australia, through SIIP, is proud to facilitate,” he said.
While based on the Gizo market, the design of the additional markets will be adjusted to improve functionality and coverage of commodities such as fish.
The locations of the markets in Honiara (one) and Guadalcanal (two) will be determined shortly.
The SIIP Hub briefed the Steering Committee, which includes the Permanent Secretaries of the Ministries of National Planning and Development Coordination, Susan Sulu, and Finance and Treasury, Mckinnie Dentana, on SIIP’s wide range of upcoming infrastructure activities, including by helping to realise Bina Harbour in Malaita through a water and sanitation feasibility study and undertaking an assessment to improve and expand Noro Port.
The Steering Committee also noted the progress made on the New Zealand led project to upgrade the Taro and Seghe runways and the Australian led design for the Naha Birthing Centre and Urban Clinic.
Dr Strahan complimented the program team for remaining flexible, adaptable and accessible to the changing economic circumstances of Solomon Islands.
“Despite recent challenges of civil unrest and COVID, SIIP has laid the groundwork for an ambitious ten-year program of construction and strengthening the private sector.”
Dr Strahan said SIIP complements a range of other Australia-Solomon Islands development partnerships, including the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific, the Australia Awards program, the Australian Pacific Training Coalition and Strongim Bisnis.
“As Australia’s flagship investment in Solomon Islands for promoting national connectivity and building climate-resilient and sustainable infrastructure, SIIP will work with these other programs to deliver SIIP’s key point of difference to traditional infrastructure projects – a long term focus on inclusive infrastructure, capacity building, inclusion of lifecycle asset planning and local opportunities for employment and business,” said Dr Strahan.
SIIP will continue working closely with a range of partners, including the local business sector, to progress the initiatives approved by the Steering Committee.
Funded by the Australian Government, SIIP is a SBD1.5 billion partnership launched last year between Australia and Solomon Islands to enhance Solomon Islands economic growth by supporting government and industry to plan, deliver and manage economic infrastructure.
End of quote.
SIIP Press and SIBC news
In the second matter –
Japan and the SIBC have signed a Grant of more than $557,000 SBD for SIBC’s standby Generator
Quote
The Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) and the Embassy of Japan signed a grant contract today to fund a new standby generator for SIBC at the Japanese Embassy office in Honiara.
Funded under the Japan’s Grassroots Human Security Project, the “Project for Provision of Generator for SIBC” reaches more than $557,000 Solomon dollars.
Speaking during the signing, Japanese Acting Ambassador to Solomon Islands His Excellency Norimasa Yoshida said they are pleased to provide the assistance for SIBC.
“One of the priority areas of our assistance under the Grassroots and Human Security Scheme is supporting basic information services such as radio broadcast, which enables people to get information, especially in isolated rural areas where people are heavily dependent on the radio for information.
I believe the importance of information from radio broadcasts has just been proved under the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
He also acknowledged SIBC for its role in disseminating vital information during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“SIBC has been playing a significant role in delivering messages regarding the pandemic from the government to its agencies and to people throughout the country. Now, thanks to SIBC, everyone knows what should be done for prevention of the disease, and when and where to get vaccinated,” HE Yoshida says.
HE Yoshida congratulated SIBC on behalf of the people of Japan for the official approval of the project and wished them all the best in the project implementation.
“It is a great honor to contribute to the efforts of SIBC to bring information, education and entertainment to the people of Solomon Islands.
We believe this project will have positive impacts on how to improve communication and information services in Solomon Islands and strengthen further cordial relationships between Solomon Islands and Japan,” he said.
Meanwhile, SIBC Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Johnson Honimae expressed his gratitude to the Japanese government for the project approval.
“I wish to thank the government of Japan for accepting our proposal despite the fact that it is not located in the rural area. Our argument when requesting the assistance is that SIBC broadcasts to the whole country and especially to the grassroots in the rural areas.
This standby generator will ensure the uninterrupted broadcast by SIBC of news, information, education, and entertainment to our people. After 20 years, the current generator is not performing at its peak, so this new standby genset we are signing the documents for today will put an end to those interruptions,” he said.
Mr. Honimae also highlighted the important role the national broadcaster has played during the pandemic, which has brought to the forefront the important role of the national broadcaster.
“During this time of the Covid-19 pandemic, the entire population of Solomon Islands, especially the rural people, depended entirely on the SIBC for information on the virus. The Corporation broadcasts daily, seven days a week on FM, Medium Wave, and Short-Wave frequencies as well as a weekly TV bulletin on Solomon Telekom Television.
SIBC broadcasts through radio as well as online, the daily nation-wide COVID-19 updates by the Minister of Health and Medical Services; the fortnightly address to the Nation by the Prime Minister and the weekly Talkback Shows by the Covid-19 Oversight Committee,” the SIBC Chief Executive Officer said.
The assistance for the standby generator is not the first assistance that has been given by Japan to SIBC. Japan has funded the SIBC Henderson Transmitter, which is a Government-to-Government project with the People of Japan, and a Project for the Improvement of Radio Broadcasting Network for Administration of Disaster Prevention in 2011 under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
This project was coordinated by SIBC with other Government agencies including the National Disaster Management Office, the MET Service, the National Referral Hospital and the Ministry of Environment. A volunteer from the JICA who was engaged in the project left in 2013.
End of quote.
Source – SIBC News.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
