Suidani thanks Japan for low interest loan but warns gov’t to be transparent on use of fund

The Premier of Malaita Province Daniel Suidani says COVID 19 has brought about many new challenges, what is now commonly known as the new normal. One such is the historical first ever loan of $190 million from the Japanese Government to Solomon Islands that has been announced yesterday.

The premier would like to thank the government and the people of Japan for seeing it fit to come to the rescue of Solomon Islands through this low loan interest rate facility.

“I have no hesitation to say that Solomon Islands need for financial support during this COVID 19 period and beyond will no doubt continue to grow. It has and will continue to become an economic nightmare to small economies like Solomon Islands,” said Suidani from Auki today.

In saying this Suidani would like to remind the national government and the leaders of the country to be wise and transparent in the use of the funds from the loan.

“In tough times like this when peoples’ trust in the government and its institutions is diminishing. The right thing to do is not only to clearly inform the people on how the funds from the loan will be used for COVID 19.  But also to provide clearer, transparent and fairer mechanisms through which the funds from the loans are to be utilized,” he said.

The premier made this as a reminder and in hindsight of the public criticisms leveled against the government in its handing of recent fundings that were made in the name of COVID 19 economic recovery.  

“The new normal under COVID 19 calls for new attitudes in managing the affairs of the country including fundings from our friends. Any economic recovery is meaningless if our overall national attitude towards the utilization of support from our friends has not changed.

“Whatever pressures there are whether be it political, economic, and social the bottom line is as leaders we must go back to our national motto. “TO LEAD IS TO SERVE”. No doubt what the founding fathers of our country meant is to be SERVANT LEADERS. That is to say leading from a desire to serve others and to do so without the desire to attain more power,” he said.

 PARU COMMUNICATION