Manasseh Sogavare

Last Monday Minister Bartholomew Parapolo and his PS Vaeno Vigulu visited Asia Pacific Investment Development Ltd’s (APID) agro forestry on Rennell Island without informing the Premier and his executive.

This has led to Premier Singamoana questioning the visit because there was no courtesy call made to his office.

He said, as the head of the provincial government, he was embarrassed and humiliated because no communication was made to his office of the visit. Also, there was no courtesy to call at his office at Tigoa provincial headquarter.

Announcing these changes, the Prime Minister said, “With the proposed Forestry Reforms currently being undertaken by the DCC Government and due to the significance this sector has on the national economy, we want to ensure that any progress made to effectively regulate the industry, maximise returns and improve sustainability, is not compromised by personal conflict of interests which might complicate the process.”

“For this reason the Hon Bodo Detkke will now be mandated with the important task of driving this government’s priority sector as the new Minister for Tourism”

During the visit, PM Sogavare will be briefed by the Secretariat executive management and meet Secretariat staff. In addition, he will pay a courtesy call on his Vanuatu counterpart, Sato Kilman and meet Solomon Islands law students and the Solomon Islands community.

He is accompanied on the visit by the newly appointed Solomon Islands Government Special Envoy on West Papua, Matthew Wale, four officers from the Prime Minister’s office, two Foreign Affairs officials and one Police Close Protective personnel.

The delegation will return on Sunday.

He revealed this in a meeting last Wednesday with the French Ambassador to Solomon Islands Pascal Maubert.

The meeting was requested by Ambassador to specifically to confirm the Prime Minister’s attendance of this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference and whether the new time schedule for the meeting- November 25 and 26- is convenient for him.

“If the conference has been rescheduled for the 25th and 26th of November from the original time-frame of November 30th to December 11th, it will not make any difference for us.