BEHIND THE SHINE OF MISS PACIFIC PAGEANT 2025

Behind the shine of Miss Pacific Pageant 2025, poor governance, corruption surrounding Economic Stimulus Package lurks.

Last Friday (07/02/25) Transparency Solomon Islands, watched the Miss Pacific Pageant Floats leading up to the crowning of a Miss Pacific. Transparency Solomon Islands like many other residents, felt so proud of Solomon Islands that Solomon Islands is again hosting this event. Proud of the young women from Pacific Islands
countries doing their country proud, showcasing their talents, the artistic skills and talents of many the many artists of their countries, eloquently delivering speeches on issues, concerns and interests of their passion in the region, and opportunities and possibilities for women.

In our country the government, through taxpayers, did their part as do others in whatever way they could to make the event successful. Proud that the Solomon Islands is hosting Miss Pacific Pageant in Honiara. Proud by another opportunity to have young women from Pacific countries showcase the best of their, culture, tradition, talents, beauty, eloquence in our country Solomon Islands, where we celebrate the best of our Pacific women and our very own Ms Elsie Polosovai Our Women’s Voices, Women’s Choices, Our Pacific Way: Promote, Partner where women Prosper adding to what is so important and good about Blue Pacific Vision. The Miss Pacific Pageant is the start of a number of events that through our government Solomon Islands will be hosting in 2025. The most important of these is the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in the second half of this year. No doubt the Pacific Games built facilities will be the venue of a number of the activities planned for the events that Solomon Islands will be hosting. Hopefully we raise funds towards the maintenance of these state of the arts facilities and not grow corruption, corrupt groups of individuals, cronies who under the cover of being officials (appointed, hired, consultants etc.). The country has witnessed many of these the worst of which is in the mismanagement, and corrupt administration of the Economic Stimulus Package during the Covid 19 pandemic period. One just have to read the Auditor General’s Audit Report to be shocked by the depth of corruption practiced then.

With regard to SOE Covid 19 responses and the Auditor General’s Audit Report, the responses, strategies, the conduct and activities of those responsible for keeping us safe, keeping our economy going, administrating taxpayers’ money do more damage to our country than Covid 19 itself when it finally arrived. Yes, people lost their lives but their loved ones during the pandemic just because the hospital does not have the liquid Panadol and simple medical supplies that a hospital should have. Many more especially women lost their livelihoods and are denied the help and health services they are entitled to as taxpayers. Those in position of power through their corrupt action and actions that do not comply with our laws use the pandemic as an excuse for the manner in which they squandered millions or help themselves to it.

Very soon our newly elected Executive Government (GNUT) will be a year old. Since coming into power, it has launched the National Anti-Corruption Strategy in its 100 days plan and has taken a balanced approach to its relationships with our diplomatic partners and nothing much controversial as yet, except for the proposed sale of Solomon Passport and an economic activity to the richest. It has received the Audit Report of Economic Stimulus Package and soon the Pacific Games Audit will also be completed. These are admirable actions and positive achievements one could say for the present GNUT Executive Government. These achievements however will be outweighed or overshadowed by what actions Prime Minister Hon. Jeremiah Manele and his GNUT Executive Government takes to address the findings of the Auditor General’s Audit Report of the Economic Stimulus Package. Transparency Solomon Islands (TSI) is concerned that to date the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance & Treasury is still refusing to provide the full information of successful applicants for the ESP. When TSI raised a number of issues surrounding the ESP he accused TSI of misleading the public and information published was incorrect. Furthermore, he promised to publish the correct list which he never did. It is of great concern that he was unable to provide the list even to the Auditor General to do his work and blocked funds for fieldwork to be given to the Auditor General’s Office. It looks like only a small portion of the documents were provided and if that small portion results in the many concerned findings of the Audit Report how much more if full documentation was examined. What are you hiding Permanent Secretary, Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and Secretary to Prime Minister.

With the findings of the Auditor General Transparency Solomon Islands calls on Prime Minister Hon. Jeremiah Manele to charge all members of the Oversight Committee, the Advisory Committee members and the Covid 19 Oversight Committee with mismanagement of these funds. It is the responsibility of the Government of National Unity and Transformation (GNUT) to ensure those who are involved are charged and put behind bars and removed from serving in the public service. Of great concern is with regard to the missing files relating to ESP kept in the Office of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Since the Secretary to Prime Minister was the main officer coordinating and making decisions etc. on responses to Covid 19 he needs to be investigated as, or he needs to explain how these documents/files were lost. The responsibility rests with the top officials of the government. Is the loss intentional? The public needs to know. The Audit Report (ESP) reveals that there was many missing information that are crucial to determining how these millions were used. For this not to happen again or allowed to happen or continue Transparency Solomon Islands urges our Prime Minister Hon Jeremiah Manele to call for a Public Enquiry into this or an Independent Commission of Expertise (Enquiry) that can unravel what happen here. The findings will inform reforms be it policy or otherwise to safeguard against these corrupt practices, and put those responsible behind bars. This will contribute to the slogan of Government of the people, by the people, for the people – the inuendoes of the inaugural speech our Prime Minister Hon. Jeremiah Manele. It will also go a long way in the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, adding positive achievements and performance to NGUT Executive Government. Transparency Solomon Islands commends you Prime Minister for your efforts so far and urges that make this a task that you will take action on to safeguard our country and people against corruption, corrupt officials, consultants etc. Lest we forget Solomon Islands remains one of the Pacific’s poorest nations with ineffective governance and conflict that leave the women and young people particularly vulnerable. Above all the people of Solomon Islands do not deserve the deteriorating health services that they have now, worse than before Covid-19. So many funds went into responding to Covid-19, wasted on official renumerations and other irresponsible conducts of officials. Nor do they (taxpayers) deserve to continue to meet the alaries, renumerations, and further awarding of knighthood or other titles to those who have allowed, helped themselves to public funds while the country suffered and continues to suffer. Their actions, mismanagement etc. hurts the country negatively much worse than the Covid 19 when it actually arrived in the country. We’re also struggling with a rising youth unemployment rate, limited public infrastructure falling into disrepair and extensive environmental degradation caused by unsustainable logging practices, irresponsible mining and increasing climate-change disasters on our doorstep.