The Permanent Secretary, Mr. Stephen Maesiola said he had lodged a request for investigation into shipping grants awarded to Members of Parliament who did not purchase a ship with the grants they received. In a response to the press on the shipping grants, MID Permanent Secretary, Maesiola reported that a number of vessels were procured by the government to support constituencies.
‘I will start from the East’
- Vatu constituency – MV Vatud Star (Operational)
- Temotu Provincial Government (no vessel procured since they received the grant
- Ulawa Ugi constituency – LC Lokiola (Operational)
- South Guadalcanal Constituency – Funds provided to Hon. Dei Pacha (no vessel purchased) – funds provided to Hon. Seleso – MV Southern Coast (Operational)
- Malaita Outer Islands – vessel never reached final destination Solomon Islands (wrecked in Fiji on its way to the Solomons)
- East Kwaio Constituency – LC Gulatatae (Operational)
- West Are’are Constituency – MV Taemareho (Operational)
- Small Malaita Constituency – MV Mwalamwaimwei (Not operational)
- Renbel Constituency – Avaiki Maine (Operational)
- Kia Hograno Constituency – MV Lady Libaka (Operational)
- Gao Constituency – LC?
- Savo Russell Constituency – LC Rusa (Operational)
- North New Georgia Constituency – Vessel procured (Not operational)
- Short Islands constituency – MV Shortlands (Operational)
“These are the vessels procured from the National Transport Initiative Grant that I am aware of since I was posted to the ministry in 2018”.
Maesiola said since lodging the call for investigation almost five years ago, he did not receive any communication from the local police at all. NTF was established as a special fund for the purposes of maintaining, developing and managing transport infrastructure in Solomon Islands.
