BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
The recent mission of the Solomon Islands People First Party (SIPFP) to Beijing, China was an investment mission and not a move to destroy the Government for National Unity and Transformation (GNUT).
This is according to SIPFP Mission’s team leader, Minister for Agriculture (MAL) Franklyn Wasi when he responded to Alfred Sasako’s ‘IN FOR THE KILL’ article on this week’s Monday Solomon Star front page.
According to the article, SIPFP was on the move to destroy GNUT with a secret visit to China soon after the withdrawal of MONC and sought to establish links with China and business leaders in case the GNUT leadership collapsed.
“Our trip was to meet with investors regarding the oil palm development in Vella La Vella,’’ Wasi told Island Sun on Tuesday via phone interview.
“For your information, this oil palm development is for North and South Vella La Vella. It is located in the Oula Basin. So, the team I led included myself, the Minister for Provincial Government, the Minister for Aviation, the Minister of Justice, the MP for Marovo, and the MP for Vonunu Rence Sore.
“The Vella La Vella oil palm development is one of the policy priorities of GNUT for the MAL. We went there to meet with the investors. We signed an MoU with them. The next step is for me to present the cabinet paper to the cabinet to form the parliamentary subcommittee and task force to spearhead this project,” said Wasi.
Wasi said that Sasako’s mention that the PM was not aware of their trip is false and misleading.
“We used our diplomatic passport to leave the country and have the permit from Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele for me to lead the team Beijin China,” he said.
He said that he was surprised at how Sasako wrote about something he knew nothing about.
“Claiming that we want to down GNUT. I don’t know who gives him the information he gives out to people.
Mr Wasi also presented the revised, finalised draft cabinet memorandum copy and paste in Cabinet Memorandum format for the Minister’s presentation.
The document presented to Island Sun showed that the SIPFP Investment Mission met with three Chinese State-Owned Enterprises: China Enterprise Reform and Development Society, China National Agriculture Development Company Limited, and Shanghai Wiheng Construction Engineering Company Limited.
The document also showed after the fruitful discussion a Memorandum of Outcome was signed between the Solomon Islands Government, represented by the Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, and Shanghai Wiheng Construction Engineering Company Limited.
It adds that the MOU stipulates the responsibilities of (1) the Solomon Islands Government, (2) Shanghai Wiheng Construction Engineering Company Limited, and (3) Joint Responsibilities of both parties to the Understanding.
According to the document the cabinet, therefore, is requested to note the Memorandum on Oula Basin Oil Palm Development Project, endorse the Memorandum on Oula Basin Oil Palm Development Project, approve the Establishment of Sub-Committee on Oula Basin Oil Palm Development Project, approve the establishment of Task-Force on Oula Basin Oil Palm Development Project.
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