A proposed $1.5 million increase in office-rent funding for the Ministry of Forestry and Research has come under scrutiny at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), with lawmakers questioning a $100,000-a-month rental arrangement and whether required procedures were followed.
The ministry appeared before the PAC on Tuesday to explain its supplementary funding request.
Under the 2026 Supplementary Appropriation Bill, the ministry’s original office-rent allocation was $350,000. The proposed additional $1.5 million would bring the revised allocation to $1.85 million, a 428 percent increase.
According to the Bill’s explanatory note, the additional funding is intended to cover 14 months of office rental for the Timber Utilization Department and JICA volunteers under the Ministry.
However, PAC members raised questions about the rental arrangement, including the suitability of the property and whether the necessary procurement, planning and approval processes were followed before the ministry entered into the lease.
PAC Chairman Dr Paul Bosawai described the size of the request as “not normal”, saying the committee would closely examine the expenditure before finalising its findings for Parliament.
The committee’s questioning centred on a 14-month rental arrangement signed in November last year, with the rental figure discussed during the hearing standing at $100,000 per month.
Members sought clarification on whether the property had originally been a private residence before being converted for office use and whether the necessary Honiara City Council commercial zoning, physical planning and other approvals had been obtained.
Questions were also raised about whether proper procurement procedures, including competitive quotations, were followed before the lease was entered into.
Committee members requested supporting documents relating to the procurement process, the property’s approvals and the lease arrangement as they continued to examine whether the ministry had complied with the required procedures before committing public funds.
Forestry Permanent Secretary Richardson Raomae told the committee that the ministry’s accommodation problems had developed over many years and had worsened as its workforce expanded.
He said that despite Forestry becoming an independent ministry more than two decades ago, its staff had continued to share limited office space with the Ministry of Mines.
“Our accommodation challenges have developed over many years,” Raomae told the committee.
Raomae said repeated proposals for a dedicated Forestry headquarters had not resulted in a permanent solution.
He also told the committee that a major headquarters project supported by international development partner KOICA had been halted following a stop notice.
The Permanent Secretary further pointed to challenges affecting provincial offices, saying Forestry offices in Taro and Kirakira had been condemned, leaving staff to work under difficult conditions.
Leader of the Official Opposition Manasseh Sogavare acknowledged the accommodation difficulties faced by Forestry officers but said operational challenges must still be addressed in accordance with established financial and procurement requirements.
“Our responsibility is to ensure public funds are spent in accordance with established laws and procedures,” Sogavare said.
The PAC is continuing its examination of the ministry’s supplementary funding request as part of its scrutiny of the 2026 Supplementary Appropriation Bill.
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