BY INDY MAEALASIA

MEMBER of Parliament (MP) for North New Georgia, John Dean Kuku has called on the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, to invest equally in both Tourism and Culture. 

Kuku raised these concerns during a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearing over the weekend.

He stressed that speaking from the ministry’s budget, much is directed toward tourism and less toward culture.

“Your ministry plays an important role in shaping the future of our children in terms of culture if we give no recognition to that, we are killing ourselves,” he said. 

Echoing the same sentiments, chair of the PAC and MP for Central Honiara, Gordon Darcy Lilo added that culture promotes the real identity of the Solomon Islands and there must be a balance between both areas.

Acknowledging the call, Permanent Secretary (PS) Barney Sivoro added that the ministry is trying to change its approach by investing in exposing the various cultural landscapes across the country.